


Big Brother

by bellafarella, letitmakeyoustronger, mariss_ugh



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: 2 truths 1 lie, Alliances, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Banter, Big Brother AU, Birthday Party, Blow Jobs, Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Campaigning, Caught, Celebrations, Comfort, Coming Out, Competition, Confessions, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Deals, Drama, Drinking, Drunkenness, Eventual Smut, Evictions, Exes, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, Feels, Fights, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Forehead Kisses, French Kissing, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Grinding, Group Game, Hand Jobs, Honesty, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Karaoke, Lies, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Mild Smut, Mutual Masturbation, Neck Kissing, Party, Reality TV, Reconciliation, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Revelations, Rough Kissing, Rumors, Secrets, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Sleepiness, Sleeping Together, Sleepy Cuddles, Smut, Sneaking Around, Stolen Moments, Teasing, Trust, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Yoga, canon lines, light anal play, privacy, showmances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 219,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25452862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellafarella/pseuds/bellafarella, https://archiveofourown.org/users/letitmakeyoustronger/pseuds/letitmakeyoustronger, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariss_ugh/pseuds/mariss_ugh
Summary: Welcome to Big Brother! 16 contestants must compete against each other for a chance to win $500,000 in a house wired with cameras and microphones, capturing their every move for a TV and Internet audience. The twist? They all already know someone else in the house; exes, family members, old friends, enemies. Who will make it to the end?
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Stevie Budd/Jake (Schitt's Creek), Theodore "Ted" Mullens/Alexis Rose
Comments: 286
Kudos: 197





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Happy humpday, here's a new AU for you ;p
> 
> If you've ever seen Big Brother then you know what a good show it is even when you hate the people on it lol. If not, BB22 is starting in August so you can always start then and see what it is we're talking about. You don't have to have seen/watch the show to follow along in this fic though. 
> 
> This idea came to us when the only person in our chat who doesn't watch Big Brother suggested one of us write a Schitt's Creek AU of it. So here we are, all of us contributing to this fic whether it's ideas, writing, or editing. It's really fun doing this all together. 
> 
> We hope you like it! 💖

DAVID

Going on Big Brother was a dream for David. It was his favorite show to watch, seeing how people would manipulate each other to get ahead and ultimately win half a million dollars, it was genius. Growing up, he was very fortunate. His father was the owner of the second largest video store chain in North America called Rose Video. However, their shady business manager took off with their money and they were left with nothing. Well, not nothing, they did have the town his father bought for him as a gag gift in 1991. It was a joke. This town is the worst so he couldn't think of a better time than now to apply to be on his favorite competition reality TV show. He didn't think he had a real shot but he would try his damn hardest to be one of the 16 contestants. David's dream since living in this town is to open up his own business. He had this idea to open up a general store where he would sell locally made products and sell them under the store/ his brand. Winning that half a million dollars could do wonders for him, his new business, and his family. 

David, not really having any other choice, asked his mother, television’s Moira Rose, to help him make the best audition video. She filmed and directed him on what to do and say in the video. His sister, Alexis, stood behind to watch a bit before sauntering off somewhere, he doesn't really care where, there's nothing to do in this town or anywhere to even get into any trouble. 

A couple months later, David found the key with his name on it. He had gotten accepted into the Big Brother house!! He could only find his father so he told him the good news, packed his bag and left for the airport to get to Los Angeles where the Big Brother house is set up. 

ALEXIS

Living in squalor is not at all how Alexis Rose envisioned her life. She was a socialite. Everyone knew her name and she would be jetting off to different islands, cities, and countries all over the world with the hottest of the hot people in Hollywood. Now, she and her family have been reduced to living in some dingey motel in butt fuck nowhere trying to rebuild what they once had. She has no hope that will happen. 

Alexis tries to find anything to do in this town that can give her a semblance of the life she once lived, but this town is not made for that. She finds herself in the back of the motel where her mom is coaching her brother on an audition tape for that stupid reality show David would talk about every summer since he was 14. 

She walks back to the room she shares with him, bored of watching him get agitated at their mother. She opens up the slow but only working laptop they have and googles Big Brother. She sees that they are now in the casting process and it seems like David is finally applying to be on his dream show. She decides to also apply, not like there is anything else to do here. 

A couple of months later, she finds a key with her name on it and that she's been accepted on the show. Alexis isn't shocked, she's gorgeous, fun, and flirty, why wouldn't she be on a reality TV show? She finds her dad in his room sans his mom and tells him the good news. She also tells him not to let David know so not to crush his poor heart. Once he sees her on his TV screen, it won't be her problem until she leaves the show.

PATRICK

Patrick's 30 and just broke up with his girlfriend of fifteen years for the like hundredth time. They have been on and off for the better part of 15 years and he feels like a complete jackass for ending things with Rachel again. She's been his best friend since they were like 13 years old but he doesn't love her the way he should. She wants a husband and kids, and well, he's not so sure he wants a wife and kids. He just knows he needs to be away from her so after ending things "for good this time" as he told her, he goes to his parents' house not knowing where else to go. 

He's watching TV with them when a commercial comes on for the reality competition show called Big Brother. He's never watched the show but he's heard about it. The commercial says that they are in the midst of casting for their next season this summer and to apply online or come to a casting call. 

Patrick disappears to his old bedroom and goes on the laptop to the Big Brother website. He finds out how to apply online, seeing that he could send in a video of himself instead of going in person. Liking that option the best, he goes about making the video, explaining what his life has been like recently, how he's in desperate need of change, and how badly he needs a summer away with no communication so he could have a clean break from his ex girlfriend for her to really move on from him for good. Winning half a million dollars is just the very big cherry on top for him. 

STEVIE

Stevie's a small town girl, working at the motel owned by her aunt. She likes it because she doesn't have to interact with a lot of people. Not a lot of people come to stay in the rundown motel on the side of the road. 

She's playing solitaire on the computer when her fuck-buddy, Jake, comes strolling in. He tells her he needs her help making an audition tape to send in to be on this reality competition show. She half listens but agrees to do it so he can leave her alone. After helping Jake with the video, she finds herself back in her apartment googling Big Brother, curious why Jake would be so adamant about being on TV. 

She finds herself youtubing past seasons and watching fights, competitions, and wins of former players. She doesn't know why but something deep inside her makes her apply.

DAY 1

"Oh why hello you! I'm television's Moira Rose, and I will be your hostess this summer. The effervescent and lovely as always Julie Chen is out for the count this summer and I have been asked to step in. Could you believe it? My television hosting debut!" Moira explains and waits a beat while the audience claps. She sees her husband, Johnny, in the crowd who gives her a small wink and a thumbs up. He flew out that morning, leaving the small town behind since his whole family is here. 

"Let us meet our new houseguests, shall we? The first eight you will meet are…" she trails off and the audience directs their attention to the screen where a video plays of each of the first eight players "finding their key" and telling the camera a bit about themselves and why they are there. 

Eight of the sixteen contestants are standing in a backroom together but there are producers and crew everywhere making sure no one interacts since you could only interact for the first time in the house and on camera.

Soon enough, they're all placed in a line and one by one are told to exit and go out into the center stage where the host just showed a video clip of each of them describing who they are and then calling them out one by one. 

"First up is Ted!" Moira calls out and a young man - a handsome veterinarian comes out waving and goes to stand opposite the host, giving her a dashing smile. 

"Stevie," Moira then calls. Stevie walks out in her black jeans and tank top with a leather jacket on top, and her bag slung over her arm. She doesn't wave walking out and she just gives a small nod to Moira, feeling awkward as all hell.

"Patrick," Moira calls. Patrick walks out in his midrange denim and blue button down shirt, waving and smiling at the crowd. 

"Gwen," Moira calls the next player out.

"Mutt, what an interesting name," Moira comments when she calls the next man out. He's rugged with his thick, dark beard and dazzling eyes. 

"Klair," Moira says and a petite brunette girl walks out in a shiny dress and heels with a dazzling headband in her hair, she throws peace signs to the crowd as she makes her way to the forming group of houseguests on stage.

"David!" she calls out enthusiastically, no one knowing he is her son. He walks out and waves to people, a dazzling smile on his face until he sees Moira there and his eyes go wide. He recovers quickly before joining the rest of them on stage, silently asking her what the hell she's doing there with his eyes. He looks at the other houseguests and sees the guy in midrange denim looking at him and then smiling softly when their eyes meet. David looks away to see the next person called out. 

"And last but not least, Ronnie," Moira introduces as the dark-skinned woman comes out in a shiny silver dress and short heels, waving and smiling to the audience before joining the other seven.

"Welcome all!" Moira says with a bright smile. "Are you excited to embark on this journey that, if you're lucky, will be 90 days of your life?" she asks and the eight of them say yes to different degrees of excitement. "You may now enter!" 

The eight of them turn and walk into the house in an orderly fashion, just as they did coming onto the stage. Once in the house, they all yell out their excitement and say how good the house looks. 

David doesn't bother mingling just yet, instead he dashes off to find the bedrooms. He walks into a couple before finding the one he really likes. There are four beds in each of the three rooms meaning there aren't enough beds for 16 people and some will have to share. Two other people enter that bedroom when he puts his bag down on the bed in the far right corner. 

"Oh this one's nice," Stevie says, examining the room. 

"Hi," David says with an awkward wave. He walks over and shakes the girl's hand. "David."

"Stevie," she says before going to drop her bag on the bed next to the one David claimed. There are four beds lined up against the wall. The other two bedrooms had the beds like two on one wall and the other two facing the other beds on the opposite wall. David didn't care for that so he chose this room.

David's now standing in front of the cute guy who smiled at him earlier. The guy extends his hand and says, "I'm Patrick." 

David shakes his hand and smiles softly, "David," he says again.

Patrick then awkwardly places his bag on the bed next to Stevie's and comments, "Looks like some people are going to have to share. There's only 12 beds."

"Good thing we claimed our beds then, huh?" Stevie says watching them. She then adds, "Have either of you ever watched this show?" 

Patrick answers, "No," with a small shrug.

"Me neither," She says before they both look at David.

"I have," He says then cringes, "Not much though," he adds, not wanting to let people know he's a huge super fan. 

Stevie eyes him and asks, "You're a super fan aren't you?" 

"What, um no, what makes you say that?" He stumbles over his words and he cringes again. 

"Your face is doing a lot right now," she says waving her hand in front of his face. "And it just seems like you know this game." 

David sighs. "Okay, fine, yes, I do know this game. I've been watching for the past twenty years but you cannot tell anyone, please," he all but begs them, not wanting a target on his back day one, especially since his mom is now the host and he has no idea if that detail will be shared with everyone. 

Stevie chuckles, "Oh I won't say anything, but we're going to help each other out in this game. You both in?" she asks them both.

David knows it's too early to make an alliance, especially since they haven't met the other half of the players but something about Stevie makes him instantly trust her. Patrick too; looks like he could win physical competitions and he's really cute. "Fuck it, I'm in," he finally says.

"Me too," Patrick says with a smile. "Now let's go meet the others so we aren't so suspicious." They agree and head out in different directions checking out the house and finding other players to mingle with.

*

Back outside of the house, the audience is watching the next video of the other eight houseguests. What the eight players inside don't know yet is that they each know someone about to walk in and spend the summer with them competing for half a million dollars.

"Let's meet our final eight players. First up is Miguel," Moira introduces as the dashing young veterinarian comes out waving at the audience. 

"Twyla," Moira says as a young girl with wavy hair and cute flower print dresses comes out with a big smile. 

"Jake," She introduces next, he’s gorgeous with a bright smile and comes out waving and winks at one of the audience members before going to stand next to the other two players.

"Alexis," Moira says next, watching as her daughter makes her way out, tossing her blond locks back and blowing a kiss to the audience wearing a pink bodycon dress. 

Alexis notices Moira and just like David, she tries to communicate with her eyes, while not letting on to the fact that she knows the host personally. 

"Ray," Moira then calls out as an Indian man comes out in a suit waving at everyone with the biggest smile on his face.

"Jocelyn," she calls next as the woman walks out, all smiles and waving much like the others. 

"Bob," Moira says as the middle-aged man jogs out awkwardly, waving to people and laughing before coming to stand on the stage next to Jocelyn.

"And our final player, Rachel," Moira says as a young woman with long, red hair comes out, waving shyly. 

Much like with the first group, Moira asks if they are excited before sending them inside to meet the other eight houseguests. Once they've entered, Moira tells the audience to watch closely because what they will see next is a bunch of confused and shocked players. 

*

The first eight are in the kitchen, getting to know each other briefly, when they hear the door open and the next eight players come in all rowdy like they had. 

"Oh my God!" David exclaims when he sees his sister walk in the door. The other eight have similar reactions as they seem to also recognize some of these people. 

The first eight make their way to the others as they all look at each other in complete and utter shock. Before they could say anything to each other, Moira is on the screen in the living room and is calling for the houseguests to make their way there. 

They all sit down looking at each other then to the screen where they see the host. Moira says, "Well, don't you all look as shocked as I thought you would! I bet you're wondering what is going on."

"Uh, yeah!" David exclaims as he looks across the living room at his sister. The others all agree with him.

"It wouldn't be Big Brother without the first twist of the summer now would it, houseguests?" she asks and they all groan, while some say, "I knew it". 

Moira continues, "Each of you knew at least one other person in the room prior to entering the house. Now, I will leave you to get to know each other or to catch up. Until later, houseguests." And the screen goes black. 

They all look to each other and start talking. Outside of the house, Moira tells the audience, "You may or may not find out inside the house but I will let you at home all know that my son, David, and daughter, Alexis, are both in there. They did not expect the other to be in there, nor for me to be the hostess! This will be a very interesting summer." 

*

Patrick doesn't know what to think. Rachel is here and sitting across from him. He came on this show to get away from her, not spend an entire summer trapped in a house with her. He has this urge inside of him to just run and leave this house and just forget the game. But something stops him from saying fuck it and just leaving. It's this weird pull he's feeling coming from next to him. David. He can't explain it, nor does he understand it but it's very present and it's stronger than his pull to run. He feels how nervous David is next to him and he's wondering who he knows here. 

Someone suggests they go around the room saying their name, age, occupation, and where they're from to break the ice. The person who suggests it starts by waving his hand to the group and says, "I'm Ted. I'm 32 years old. I'm a veterinarian, and I'm from a small town in Oregon." 

"I'll go next. I'm Rachel," she says, looking at Patrick and making him wish he bolted before this started. "I'm 29, I'm a bartender and I'm from Chicago." Patrick's eyebrows knit together. She lied about being a physical therapist. He realizes it's part of her strategy for the game.

Next to her the woman in a sparkly silver dress says, "I'm Ronnie. I'm 45, I'm on town council for the small town where I live in Mississippi."

"So I'm Bob," the man next to her says with an awkward laugh. "I'm 51, I'm a mechanic, and I'm from Michigan." 

"Jake," the man near him says with a wave. "I'm 33, I make furniture, and I'm from a small town in Florida."

"Hey, so I'm Mutt. I'm 31, and I've been on the road most of this past year," Mutt with the dark beard next to Jake explains vaguely. 

"Hi!" the blonde next to Mutt says enthusiastically. "I'm Alexis. I'm 28, and right now I'm not working but focusing more on myself and my journey, you know? And I'm from New York."

"Um, I'm Stevie," Stevie says from one of the two chairs in the middle of the two long couches. "I'm 33. I work at a motel, and I'm also from Florida." Well, that's the first giveaway of who knows who. David looks between Stevie and Jake, seeing something in both their eyes that he cannot wait to find out more about from her.

In the seat next to Stevie, the man says with a big smile, "I'm Ray! I'm 43, I work on town council with Ronnie." He looks at her and says, "It's so good to see you here, what are the odds!" Ronnie just humphs.

On the next couch, it's David's turn, "Um, I'm David. I'm 34," he says his age silently before continuing, "I'm oscillating between jobs right now. I used to work in art galleries though, and I'm also from New York." 

He sees Alexis give him a look, which he ignores, looking instead at sweet Patrick next to him. "Oh, my turn. Okay, um, hi, I'm Patrick. I'm 30. I was working in an accounting firm but I am currently unemployed. I'm from Chicago."

David looks to the redhead girl across from him, who hasn't stopped looking at Patrick, and they both said the same city.

"Hi, I'm Twyla," the girl next to Patrick says with a cheery attitude. "I'm 28. I'm a waitress, and I live in a small town called Elmdale."

Next to Twyla, a middle aged woman says, "I'm Gwen. I'm 50. I'm a choir teacher, and I'm from Michigan."

"Hey, whats up? I'm Klair. I'm 26, I work as an influencer. I have a couple million followers on Instagram," the brunette next to Gwen says with a flip of her hair. She gets a few stink eyes from people but not for long because the next woman is up. 

"Hi, I'm Jocelyn!" She says with a bright smile. "I'm 48, I'm a middle school teacher in a small town called Schitt's Creek." 

David gets tense at that. She lives in the same God forsaken town as his family. How the hell have they never met her before? He looks to Alexis and she has the same confused face on before quickly schooling her emotions. 

"What an interesting town name!" Ray comments. 

"Hey, so I'm Miguel," the last man at the end of the sofa says. "I'm 36, I'm a veterinarian, and I'm from Oregon as well." 

"Oh there's some tension between you two on the ends," Alexis says peering over to look at the two vets. 

"No, no tension," Ted says but Miguel rolls his eyes, so Ted adds with a sigh, "Yes, okay. Miguel and I are rival vets in the same small town."

"Random," Klair comments. "Okay well let's just all say who we know. So we know Ted and Miguel are enemies. I know Alexis. How are you, babe? It's been forever!"

"Mm I know, I've just been like super busy," Alexis says to her. "So yeah, I knew Klair back in the day. Um, also, since we are all saying who we know, David is my brother."

David groans but nods. 

"Patrick was my boyfriend of fifteen years but he dumped me a few months ago and now we're here," Rachel announces. 

David looks to Patrick who is visibly very tense beside him. Patrick tells her, "I don't think we need to discuss that now in front of everyone." He looks to the other houseguests then to David as he says, "We got together in high school and have been on and off ever since. It wasn't working between us and you know this, Rachel." 

She scoffs at his words before Stevie says, "Maybe you should have this discussion now." Patrick gives her a pointed look but she just smiles at him acting all innocent. 

"Well, Stevie and I are from the same town. We've dated before too," Jake brings up, not mentioning how they had been currently 'dating', it must be part of his game play.

Patrick gives her a look back and she rolls her eyes at him. David is just beaming beside him as he watches Stevie. 

The rest start to say how they know each other. Jocelyn tells everyone she's Mutt's mom but they haven't spoken or seen each other in over five years. Twyla says that she and Mutt dated but broke up last year because of his strained relationship with his parents and that he was tired of her bringing it up. Gwen and Bob are divorced. 

Now everyone's secrets are out, they all know who knows who prior to the game, and they're all forming their own opinions about who's a threat because of their connection and who isn't. 

The houseguests decide to look around the house and claim their beds. Patrick realizes that some will have to share and gets scared that Rachel will try to bunk with him so he taps David on the arm and nods his head to the side. He gets up and heads to the room they put their bags in, David joining shortly after. 

He asks, "What's going on?" when they're alone together. 

Patrick says, "So I really don't wanna share with my ex and I feel like she's going to try to make that happen so would you mind if I share your bed? I know its a huge inconvenience and that you probably really wanted the bed to yourself since you claimed it-"

David interrupts with, "It's fine, you can share with me. I get not wanting to be around your ex."

Patrick relaxes with a deep sigh. "Thank you, David," he says before grabbing his bag and putting it next to David's. The door opens and in comes Jake and Stevie. Jake puts his bag down on the same bed as Stevie's before turning to the two men and saying, "Looks like we're all room buddies."

"Yeah…" Patrick trails off. 

Alexis walks in and says, "Oh yay, David, are you rooming in here?"

"Yeah," he tells her simply. 

She smiles and puts her bag down on the bed that's not right next to Stevie and Jake's.

Ted walks in and sees a free bed, "Oh lucky me, a free bed!" He puts his bag on the bed between Alexis and Stevie's. Alexis smiles at him and watches how he blushes at her.

In the second bedroom, there is Ronnie, Gwen, and Jocelyn in their own beds, and Twyla and Rachel sharing the last bed. And in the third bedroom, Bob, Mutt, and Ray in their own beds, and Klair and Miguel sharing the final bed. 

Alexis didn't want Klair to share a bed with her but when she saw her and Miguel hitting it off and going to a room together with their bags she felt like she was in the clear before she went off in search of her own bed. 

They all have five minutes after claiming beds before Moira is corralling them back into the living room. "Now that you've all settled in, it is time for the first Head of Household competition where one of you will be safe for the week. Head out to the yard and get into your positions," she informs them before the screen goes black. Everyone does as they're told, heading out back where there is a big slingshot machine set up and a huge board with different numbers. 

They pick names to see in which order they will compete. Once they have their order they stand in line and wait for Moira to come back. 

"Hello you!" she says, her voice booming into the backyard. "During the break you all picked names to see who will be going in what order. The game is simple; put your ball into the slingshot and shoot it at the target. The player with the highest score will be our first HoH of the summer," she informs them. "Any questions?" The houseguests say no so she says, "Great. So up first is Twyla, go ahead, dear."

Twyla shoots and gets a score of 20. She goes to stand at the spot for highest score since she was first. 

They go down the list, everyone shooting, some beating her score, some not. Jocelyn is in the lead right now with 80 points and there's one person left to shoot. Alexis shoots and it doesn't even make it into the target, earning her an incomplete score. She did it on purpose, Alexis didn't come here to win competitions and be a threat. She came here to be the socialite that she is by being friendly and flirty, and getting people to do what she wants. 

"Congratulations, Jocelyn! You are the first Head of Household of the summer," Moira says and everyone goes over to Jocelyn to hug her and congratulate her. 

*

“Join us on Sunday night to see who Jocelyn nominates for eviction. And on Wednesday night, who will win the Power of Veto and will it be used? Then next week, join us for our first live eviction of the summer. From outside the Big Brother house, I’m Moira Rose, goodnight,” Moira says into the camera before the show ends. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the first HoH competition, alliances start to be formed, final 2 deals get made, and honest conversations between exes and between a potential new showmance happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter, thank you to those who left us kudos and comments on the first one, it means a lot! We're so glad you're liking it so far. We're having a lot of fun working on this so it feels great that you're liking it. 
> 
> Hope you're having a great Sunday and enjoy! 💖

Everyone heads back inside after the Head of Household competition. Some stay in the kitchen, some head to their rooms, and others to the living room. 

Production calls for Ted to head into the diary room. He's instructed to talk about being in the house, about the HoH competition, and to talk about any of the other houseguests. Ted starts talking about stuff, knowing production will edit it the way they need to for TV, "I'm really bummed that Miguel is here. I came into this game to win to help my business because of him. He does these horrible ad campaigns where he's shirtless and holding puppies and it's taking business away from me. I'm really hoping I could win this game so I could help my business. I love helping animals and I don't want to have to stop doing that. Some of the other houseguests are really interesting. Like Alexis. She's probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in person. I'm rooming with her, which should be interesting. Jocelyn as HoH will be interesting to see. She seems like a very sweet woman, so I have no clue who she would nominate. I just hope I don't come off as a threat to her." 

Ted leaves the D.R. and Mutt is called to go in next. Throughout the rest of the evening, everyone is called to go into the diary room. It's part of production for the show; they need them all to talk about the competition and the other houseguests.

David heads into the diary room after Alexis and sighs when he sits down. "So my mother is the host— I don't know how I feel about that. She _never_ told me about it and she helped me with my audition tape. And now I'm realizing I'm probably- _we_ , me and Alexis, are probably only on here because of her," he groans. "Well, that’s not great. I've been a fan of this show since the very first season. I'd like to think I got in on my own merits but who knows. Not like I'm going to ask her in front of everyone and gain a bigger target. Having my sister here is probably a target enough. Though, I think right now Jocelyn and Mutt are the most threatening duo here since she is his mother and she just won HoH. I also really don't trust Ray, he seems very sneaky, and I don't like that. Also, Alexis' old friend, Klair is _such_ a bitch. She has not stopped talking about her follower count. Like nobody cares. I'm going to be sharing a bed with Patrick, which is _very_ interesting. He's not usually my type but he's very cute. Not a good look for me to crush on a straight guy, though. Well, I can't assume he's straight, but his ex girlfriend is here. God, that was very awkward and cringey earlier with them." 

He makes a face before continuing, "I think I can really trust him, though, and he seems to trust me to ask to bunk with me out of everyone. I trust Stevie too. I think the three of us can go _very_ far in this game together, we just have to keep a low profile and not ruffle anyone's feathers. The only thing that worries me is Stevie's connection to Jake, who is gorgeous and very obviously a jackass who will get under people's skin very quickly. I'm gonna have to watch out for that and see how close those two actually are." 

David is excused so they can have the next houseguest in. David exits the diary room to see Patrick is waiting to go in next. He gives him a small smile and walks past him. 

Patrick sits on the chair and like everyone before him, he’s told what happens in this room. He nods before looking into the camera and starting. “This is so weird. I can’t believe Rachel is here. I signed up for this show to get away from her,” he groans. “That sounds bad. Look, I love Rachel. She was my best friend for more than half of my life but we didn’t work as a couple. We broke up so many times in the fifteen years we were together. It just never felt… _right_? I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t really know what to even say about it. I will always love her, she was a big part of my life, I just - I’m not in love with her and I’m afraid she’s only here because of me and wanting to get back together and that cannot happen. I can’t get sucked in to getting back together just because I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I have to start thinking about myself too.” Patrick sighs. 

“Being in the house is cool though, everyone seems really nice. I have no idea what Jocelyn will do this week as HoH. She seems like such a sweet person, I don’t know how she’s going to choose two people to put on the block. I hope I’m not one of them. Or David.” He smiles softly, feeling himself start to blush. 

The producer tells him to talk about David. 

“David is really interesting. He was wearing a warm sweater in the dead of summer. I don’t understand it but he makes it look _really_ good. I haven’t been able to stop looking at him. There’s something about him that just - I feel drawn to him, does that make sense? I’m really glad that Stevie wanted to work with both of us. I think we could be a very strong trio and make it all the way to the end together. Jake kind of worries me though, seeing him and Stevie and that they used to date. I have this strong feeling they maybe are still dating but haven’t said that to not create a target which I am super grateful for because I don’t want my teammate to have a target on her back day one. I’m going to be sharing a bed with David this week. That’s going to be interesting to say the least. I don’t know how to really feel about it. I know I asked him to share but that was more on impulse than anything else. I was worried Rachel would wanna share a bed then she would be relentless to get us back together if that happened and I could not let that happen. I trust David. I barely know him but I just feel really good about him, I don’t know why.”

By the time Patrick leaves the diary room, most people have changed into comfortable clothes, mainly the girls who were in dresses, and are all lounging in different rooms in different groups getting to know each other. Twyla took Jocelyn's bed since she won HoH and now she and Rachel don't have to share for the week. 

Jocelyn has been in the diary room, last one in because she won HoH, and soon, she bursts out holding a key high in the air and yelling, "Who wants to see my HoH room?!" 

Everyone jumps from where they were lounging and they follow Jocelyn up the stairs to the private Head of Household room. They all 'ooh' and 'ahh' as they take in the private suite with personal touches for Jocelyn. There's a zebra print throw blanket on the sofa, pictures of her family in different frames around the room, her basket of goodies, and a letter from home. After everyone looks around, they find a spot to sit or lean as Jocelyn takes her letter and sits on one of the chairs to read it to the room. 

"It's from my husband, Roland," Jocelyn tells them, tears already in her eyes. Gwen is behind her rubbing her shoulder, giving her support. "Dear, Joce, Rollie Jr. and I miss you like crazy already. If you're reading this you won HoH and of course you did! I'm so proud of you. We're going to be just fine here without you, please don't worry too much. I can't wait to see you on TV and watch you play your hardest. Missing you like crazy, especially at night," Jocelyn laughs as most people in the room hoot and holler. 

David can't help but cringe and sees Patrick chuckle beside him looking at him. 

"Oh, Rollie," Jocelyn says, blushing. "We love you, have the best time," she finishes the letter and people start getting up to go hug her and congratulate her again. 

Slowly, people start to trickle out of the room until the only ones left are Jocelyn, Gwen, Ronnie, and Twyla. 

“Congrats again, Jocelyn,” Twyla says as she goes to sit on one of the love seats in the room. “Are you excited about being the first HoH?”

“It’s a big responsibility,” Ronnie mentions from where she’s grabbing some candies from Jocelyn’s gift basket.

“It is and I have no idea who I will put on the block. Speaking of, I’m glad you three are here,” Jocelyn says looking at each woman in the room. “What would you gals think about being in an alliance together? The four of us keep each other safe throughout the game.”

“Oh yay!” Twyla says, clapping her hands together. “I would love that!”

“Yes, count me in,” Gwen says from where she’s lounging on the bed, back against the headboard, Jocelyn next to her.

“I’m in too,” Ronnie adds.

“Perfect,” Jocelyn grins. “We have to keep it a secret. We don’t want to become targets because we are a four person alliance.”

The girls all agree. “What should we call ourselves? Don’t these things always have a name?” Ronnie asks.

“What about ‘The Jazzagals’?” Jocelyn asks. “I love to sing. Gwen, I know you do since you said you’re a choir singer. Twyla, I heard you talking about being in musicals. Ronnie, I’m not sure if you sing?”

“Oh yes I do, honey!” Ronnie says before breaking out into song and soon the four of them are harmonizing before they start laughing.

“The Jazzagals it is,” Jocelyn says with finality. The four of them stand in the middle of the room, put their hands on top of each other and pull their arms back. 

*

Downstairs, Rachel asks Patrick if they can talk privately. They go into the room near the bathroom. It has this big lounge area so they climb onto it and sit down next to each other, some space between them. 

“Rachel, why are you even here?” Patrick asks her right away. “How did you know I’d be here?”

Rachel sighs. “I was recruited to be on,” she starts to say then ‘Big Brother’s’ voice comes through saying, “Please stop talking about production.”

Patrick groans, okay so they can’t speak about this. 

Rachel says, “Sorry, Big Brother,” before turning to face Patrick and sitting cross legged. “Patty, please,” she says, grabbing his hand and holding it in both of hers. “I know you’re scared because I was talking about us getting engaged and really starting our new life together, and I get it, you’re not ready for that, we don’t have to take that next step just yet, but don’t end this, end us, because you’re afraid.”

Patrick sighs and pulls his hand out of hers. “Rachel, I didn’t end it because I was afraid. Well, yeah, I was afraid but only because I don’t want to marry you. I’m sorry. We haven’t worked for so long, we broke up every few months. It was not healthy for either of us. You know I love you-”

“I love you too, Patrick,” she says moving closer to him but he scooches back. 

“No, Rachel,” he says. “I love you, but I’m not _in love_ with you. You will always have such a special place in my heart, you were my best friend. I just— we don’t work together. You’re going to have to move on from me because this is final. There’s no more getting back together.”

Tears have slipped down her face and she wipes them away trying not to sob like she wants to, her heart breaking with every word Patrick said, but she can’t change his mind, not now anyway. “Okay,” she says softly. “You’re not ready for us right now.” Patrick’s shaking his head no, she doesn’t understand. Rachel continues anyway, “I will always love you, Patrick. I hope we can maybe work together in this game since we’re both here. I’m going to need you, Patty.”

Patrick sighs, he can’t tell her he has absolutely no desire to work with her or that he’s already working with David and Stevie. He’s looked up enough of this game to know what it’s all about before entering so he smiles at her and says, “Sure, Rachel.”

She grins at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging them tight despite the awkward angle of how they’re sitting. 

*

David and Stevie find the storage room empty and go inside together to have a talk, and well, David wants a snack. 

"So what's the deal with you and Jake?" he asks her, winking and making a weird face that has Stevie groaning.

"We've been seeing each other for about a year but it's nothing serious at all. We just hook up," Stevie tells him honestly.

"Ooouu," David teases, earning him a smack on the arm. 

"Shut up, you can't tell anyone about this," she warns him.

"I won't, you're my partner in this, why would I tell any of those people?" David says, waving his hand in the direction of the door.

"Better be," Stevie says. "Jake's great and all but he's an obvious threat right off the bat and I don't want to be too associated with him and make myself a huge target."

"Yeah, that's smart. Definitely don't hook up or anything when others are around either," David warns her.

"Oh God no, I don't- there are cameras _everywhere,_ I can't hook up and have the whole country see." She looks around seeing all the cameras just in this room alone.

"Showmances are stupid anyway, they do nothing but give you a target," David tells her. 

"Oh so you and Patrick aren't going to…" She says trailing off and smacks a closed fist onto her other hand in a crude gesture. 

"Ugh," David groans. "No, we won't- he's straight, his ex-girlfriend is here."

"Doesn't mean he's straight, and he asked to share a bed with you to avoid her," Stevie reminds him.

"That doesn't mean anything," David tells her. He wishes it meant something but he can't make himself hope because he's not here for a guy, he's here for half a million dollars and for his potential business.

"Mhm, sure. So since you and Patrick aren't going to be anything, you down for us to be final 2? If either of us win the last HoH, we take each other and cut him loose? Assuming we actually do make it to final 3 together," Stevie propositions.

David nods, agreeing. "I'm cool with that," He tells her. Why wouldn't he take a final 2 deal when it's offered to him? He likes Stevie, he really does, and he has every intention to follow through with this plan but if Patrick offers the same deal, he's going to say yes. You don't turn down a final 2 deal, that's an unstated rule of the game. 

They shake on it before exiting the room separately to not draw too much attention to themselves.

*

The door opens and David pokes his head in, seeing Patrick and Rachel hugging - well, Rachel hugging Patrick who seems very uncomfortable. They both look at him as Rachel pulls away from him.

David says, “Oh sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Nope, no, you didn’t, we’re done here,” Patrick says with relief before climbing off the lounge area and going to the door. “I’ll see you later, Rachel,” he adds before slipping out of the door.

“Yeah, see you,” Rachel calls back but he’s already gone. 

David smiles at her awkwardly before leaving the uncomfortableness. He finds Patrick in their room alone, sitting on their bed. 

“Hi,” David says softly upon entering. 

Patrick sits up more and says, “Hi.”

“Sorry about that,” David says moving his hands in the direction of the door. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t,” Patrick says with a smile. “I was looking for a reason to get out of there.”

David comes over to sit on the bed next to theirs, facing Patrick. 

Patrick adds, “I don’t want you to worry about her - um, I mean like I’m still in this with you and Stevie, that’s not going to change.”

“Okay, good, um, that’s good to know,” David says, stumbling on his words a bit. He didn’t know what to think seeing his new alliance member hugging his ex-girlfriend. 

“Yeah, she just -” Patrick sighs, he turns to face David, legs hanging off the bed, one touching David’s. “-She wanted to talk about us and why we broke up. I don’t think she’s going to give up so easily on me but I really need her to.”

“Can I ask why you broke up? I don’t want to intrude, you don’t have to tell-” David starts to say.

“-I don’t mind, I trust you,” Patrick stops him. “Yeah so like you already know, me and Rachel got together in high school. We were friends for a couple years before she kissed me and then all of a sudden she was my girlfriend. We dated for the past fifteen years on and off, breaking up almost every few months, sometimes they lasted longer and we wouldn’t break up for a year or two but eventually, it always ended the same way.”

“Why did you keep getting back together?” David asks, wondering how two people could be together on and off for almost two decades is beyond him. David’s longest relationship lasted less than three months, so this whole situation with Patrick and Rachel is just so incomprehensible to him.

“I love her, I do, she’s been a constant in my life for 17 years. I thought it was what was best. She always asked to get back together or we’d run into each other and talk and all of a sudden we’re back on. My parents love her, my friends love her, I- I love her. I just - I’m not in love with her, and honestly, I don’t know if I ever was. How do you know when you’re in love?” Patrick asks looking up at David through his lashes.

David scoffs. “You’re asking the wrong person. My longest relationship was only a couple months. I’ve never been in love before,” he tells him honestly. Patrick was so honest with him, he didn’t even hesitate to be just as honest back. Plus, he feels like he can really trust him. 

“Wow, that’s pretty shocking honestly,” Patrick says with a small laugh.

David likes how he laughs and can’t help but smile. “Um, why is that shocking?” he asks.

Patrick blushes, he feels it creeping up his neck. He rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck and says, “I don’t know, you just seem so confident and strong, and I just assumed you were seeing someone or have been in serious-,” Patrick groans. “Sorry, none of this is coming out right.”

David laughs. “It’s okay. Um, thanks I guess but no, I’m, um, I’m single,” he tells him.

Patrick smiles at him softly and David feels butterflies inside, _that smile_. It’s perfect. 

The door to the room opens and in comes Ted, he sees the two men chatting closely and says, “Sorry buds, didn’t mean to interrupt, just wanted to grab my pajamas to start getting ready for bed.”

“No worries,” David says as he stands. “I should do the same.”

“Yeah,” Patrick agrees.

Most of the house seems to have the same thought and are getting themselves ready for bed. David makes it back to the bedroom to see Patrick lying in their bed under the covers. The bed isn’t that big and he really hopes they’ll fit comfortably. They just met that day and now they’re sharing a bed. David starts feeling really nervous but tries to push that feeling away. He puts his clothes away before smiling at Patrick awkwardly. 

Patrick scooches over a bit when David pulls the covers back to get in. Stevie and Jake are already spooning in the bed next to them. Ted is in bed as well, and Alexis is just getting into the room when David finally slips in beside Patrick. 

Alexis closes the light before hopping into her bed and telling the room, “Goodnight, guys.”

“Goodnight,” they all say back.

David and Patrick are lying on their backs, their upper arms pressed together, and David can’t get his heart to slow the fuck down. They both just lie there, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, not really seeing anything at all, and listening to each other’s breathing. 

“Goodnight, David,” Patrick whispers beside him before turning his back to him as he lies down facing the wall. 

“Goodnight, Patrick,” David whispers back as he continues to try to get his mind to slow down so he can get some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first four have-nots of the season are named and two people are nominated for eviction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy humpday! Here is the next chapter. Thanks for the support yall!  
> Enjoy! 💖

DAY 2

The next morning is weird. Big Brother wakes them up by turning lights on and playing loud pop music. And it doesn’t stop. Not until every single person is out of bed. 

The houseguests have breakfast, and then some get themselves ready to go out in the backyard to tan. Some of the guys are working out, some are in the pool, but mostly everyone is outside enjoying the day. It’s nice that everyone is getting along so far and getting to know each other.

Later in the day, Jocelyn corrals everyone into the living room for an announcement from Big Brother. Once everyone is seated, Jocelyn, at the front of the room, reads the paper she has in her hands, “Houseguests, being a have-not is an essential part of the Big Brother experience.” 

“Oh, God,” someone says, the rest all groan. 

Jocelyn continues, “For this first week, there will be no have-not competition but the four houseguests with the lowest score from the HoH competition will be our first have-nots of the summer.”

“No, no, no, no,” Alexis mutters from where she’s seated next to Twyla and David. David can’t help but chuckle lightly, knowing right away she’s one of the have-nots because of her non-existent score in the competition.

“Alexis and Mutt because you both didn’t get your ball onto the scoreboard, you are both have-nots this week,” Jocelyn tells them. “As well as Twyla with a score of 20 and Bob with a score of 25.” 

Mutt looks awkwardly at Twyla. _This is not going to be a fun week_. 

“Along with sleeping in the have-not room, you will be taking only cold showers and will be living off of slop for the week. So are you ready to see where you will be sleeping this week?” Jocelyn asks them. 

Everyone jumps up, well, the ones who aren’t have-nots are really excited to see what it looks like. Jocelyn leads them to the have-not room and pushes the door open, the four have-nots enter first and Alexis says, “You’ve got to be joking.” 

The room looks like an asylum with its padding all over the walls. There is one large block in the middle of the room with what looks to be the thinnest ‘mattresses’ they’ve ever seen. There are a couple small dressers in the room but other than that, that’s it. 

Houseguests that aren’t stuck in this room this week are trying to make it seem not so bad for the poor four have-nots, and some are just laughing outright, like Klair.

“This is fucking unbearable,” Klair says before laughing. “God, I am _so_ happy not to be a have-not!” 

Alexis glares at her behind her head. _Bitch_. She notices a few others roll their eyes at her or glaring as well. Klair is starting to annoy more than just Alexis and she’s really happy about that. 

The houseguests exit the have-not room, leaving the four have-nots in there. “This sucks,” Alexis tells them.

“I’ve slept in worse, I think it’ll be okay,” Mutt tells her.

“Ugh! Speak for yourself,” she says before sitting on one of the ‘mattresses,’ if you could even call them that. “Oh my God, no,” she says before getting back up. 

They all sit down and are immediately met with how hard they are. 

“We just need to make the best of this,” Twyla says as cheery as ever.

*

The four have-nots move their things into their new room for the week. Alexis is gathering her things together when Ted comes in the room. “Hey, Alexis,” he says, going to sit on his bed, watching her re-pack her things.

“Hey, Ted,” she says with a smile before going back to what she was doing. 

“Sucks that we won’t be rooming together this week,” he tells her. He tries not to let on to how much he hates that she’s a have-not and bunking with Mutt now instead of him. 

“I know,” Alexis says, turning to look at him and stopping her repacking process. “I was so looking forward to sleeping in this bed. I didn’t know being a ‘have-not’ is a thing, I never really saw this show before,” she admits to him.

“Well, I could help you out. You know, teach you some things. Maybe we could even help protect each other in this?” Ted offers.

“Oh my God, I’d love that, Ted,” Alexis says, bouncing over to him and sitting next to him on the bed. “So like what would that entail?” She feels like the game is starting for her and it’s really exciting. Her plan was to be her social butterfly self and just be friendly, fun, and flirty, and it should get her far in this game. 

Ted turns to face her, “Well, we would work together to get far in the game, and keep each other safe whenever one of us gets any power. Oh, and if someone other than us gets power and we hear of either of us being in danger of leaving we would try to diffuse that and put the heat on someone else,” he explains.

“I love that,” she says, smiling. 

Ted smiles back, how could he not? The most beautiful girl he’s ever seen is agreeing to work with him in this game. 

*

David’s sitting by the pool, feet inside as he soaks in the sun in just his swim trunks that are covered in watermelon slices. He was shy at first to take his shirt off, knowing there are cameras everywhere documenting everything, not to mention the other 15 people in the house. He's confident in his body, past partners always complimented him on it and seemed to only want to be with him for it. This is different though since it’s not sexual. It's just him lounging by the pool soaking in the sun. He put his fears and small insecurities about the show aside and just took his shirt off as he sat down to dip his toes in the water. 

David looks around the backyard to see what the other houseguests are doing. Klair and Miguel are flirting by the weights where Miguel and Mutt are working out. He sees Gwen and Ronnie sitting on the sofa area under the umbrellas, staying cool in the shade. Jake and Stevie are talking while sunbathing on their stomachs. In the hammock is Rachel with her sunglasses on. Watching everyone do their own thing, David knows that soon everything is going to change. Once those nominations are made and people have to start _actually_ playing the game, this will change. Everyone won’t be getting along like this every day.

David looks to see Patrick coming outside and over to him. He’s in these horrible jean shorts - _what even are those, oh my God_ \- and a white t-shirt. Despite the offending shorts, he looks good, like _really fucking good_. His arms are something to behold. “Hey,” Patrick says, shaking him out of his own head, good thing he has sunglasses on and can’t tell David was staring like a creep.

“Hey,” David says when Patrick sits down next to him, putting his feet in the water too. 

“So you just sitting out here watching everybody, huh? Anything interesting happen?” Patrick asks, bumping his shoulder into David’s. 

Patrick sees David shirtless for the first time and he's trying hard not to stare at his chest but _wow_. He's never really looked at guys' bodies before, not in the way he feels himself looking at David. He's got dark chest hair that somewhat trickles down his abdomen and down into the waistband of his shorts. He tears his eyes away when David laughs and bumps his shoulder back into Patrick, wanting to feel that closeness again. 

“Um, not really, but I do find it interesting how close Miguel and Klair have been since yesterday. They _did_ share a bed,” David tells him.

“David, we shared a bed,” Patrick reminds him. 

“What’s your point?” David asks, confused.

Patrick chuckles. “You’re saying because Miguel and Klair shared a bed, you find it interesting how close they are. We shared a bed so that’s a reason for people to find _us_ interesting?” He asks.

“Oh, okay well no, I just meant it was interesting that they’re close. They could become a showmance and that’s not - that’s a sure way to be a target,” David tells him.

“A showmance?” Patrick asks, looking at him curiously.

“Oh right you haven’t seen the show. A showmance is two people hooking up on the show and becoming like a power couple or a very strong duo because they usually always vote together. It’s just basically like a romantic alliance,” David explains.

“Ah, I see,” Patrick says, with a small laugh. “Hey, so I saw Ray talking to Jocelyn inside. What should we be doing about her being HoH? I feel like we have to talk to her, right? And like say why we shouldn’t be nominated?” 

“No,” David tells him. “I mean, yeah, we talk to her but casually. It’s only week one, we don’t want to make ourselves targets in the first week. Everyone’s going to talk to her at some point before noms tomorrow but we should not campaign to stay off the block. Instead, we'll bring her information on other people for her to focus her attention on them. Like Klair for example. She’s obnoxious as fuck and from what I’ve been hearing today, people aren’t fond of her.”

“Oh I see,” Patrick nods along, slowly understanding this game. “She did brag about being an influencer, whatever that is.”

“Exactly. She makes money on instagram, she doesn’t _need_ to win this money. She is an easy first out and it’d be good to bring that up to Jocelyn. We should try to talk to Stevie today before we have our own conversations with Jocelyn,” David tells him. He continues to try to explain the game and what it entails, from what he’s seen the past two decades on this show. 

*

Like David told Patrick, houseguests all start having their own conversations with Jocelyn about nominations tomorrow. Jocelyn’s been in her HoH room the past hour as one by one different people come to talk to her. She spoke with Ray downstairs before Rachel asked to speak with her upstairs. After that, people started knocking asking when she was free if she could talk. At this point she spoke to the majority of the house already. She has a free minute so she looks at the screen in her room that overlooks the house. No sound comes out of it so she can’t hear their conversations but she can see who’s talking to who and where. She sees Mutt making his way upstairs and waits for the knock.

“Come in,” she says, sitting down in the chair.

Mutt comes in and asks, “You have a minute to talk?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Jocelyn says.

He comes into the room and sits on one of the love seats across from where Jocelyn is sitting in the chair at her little table with her goodie basket. “Um, so congratulations on winning,” he says awkwardly. 

He hasn’t spoken to his mom in over five years, he’s not sure where to start, and now with her in power, he doesn’t know what he should think. Is he automatically safe because she still is his mom, is he not safe because they haven’t spoken in so long? He has no idea.

“Thanks,” Jocelyn says with a smile. “I’ve missed you.”

Mutt sighs in relief. “I have too,” he tells her honestly. “It’s just - I hope you know I didn’t want it to go so long that we haven’t spoken but the more time that went on the harder it got to do anything about it.”

“I know,” she tells him. “Your father and I know that you don’t want to be mayor of the town, and we’re not going to let that be why we aren’t in each other’s lives for any longer. We have this amazing chance for us to reconnect and I don’t want to waste that time on being upset about the time we lost.”

Mutt feels so much better now, knowing his mom wants to be in his life and they’ll stop trying to force him into the ‘family business’ if it means they can’t talk. “Thanks mom,” he says as he stands and walks over to her. She stands and they hug for the first time in so long. Jocelyn can’t hold in her tears anymore and lets them fall as she clings to him. 

When they pull apart she looks into the closest camera and says, “Look Rollie, our boy is here,” before turning back to Mutt and caressing his cheek. “Our boy,” she repeats. 

*

David looks up from where he’s sitting at the kitchen island to see Mutt coming back downstairs. Now’s his chance to talk to Jocelyn. Stevie already did and Patrick will be going soon. They’re all going to tell her about Miguel and Klair, and how they should be on her radar. He knows Alexis already mentioned it in passing and that she was also going to talk to a few other people about her own suspicions to get them to have doubt and possibly mention it to Jocelyn.

He knocks on the door and makes his way inside when she tells him to. “Oh, David, hi,” She says from where she’s sitting on the bed.

“Hey, Jocelyn,” he says, walking to sit at the small table. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good, having a lot of chats today,” she says with a laugh.

“I bet,” David laughs. “How are those going?”

“Pretty good,” she says simply, not divulging any information she might have received. 

“That’s good.” He nods. “Well, I just wanted to come say hey, um, and see where your head was and if I could ease any stress you might be feeling with nominations tomorrow.”

“It is quite stressful. We all just met yesterday and I already have to nominate two people. Everyone’s so nice,” she tells him.

“Yeah, I mean, that must be so tough for you. I just wanted to come tell you a bit about what I’ve noticed to maybe help you with that decision,” he offers.

“That would be great, David,” Jocelyn says, crossing her legs on the bed.

“I’ve just heard about people starting to really get annoyed with Klair,” he tells her.

Jocelyn nods. “I have been hearing that too, actually, and let me ask you, have you noticed anything going on with her and Miguel?” she asks him.

David pulls his lips into his mouth, not wanting to grin at how it’s working. He nods and says, “I have. I was sitting by the pool earlier and they seemed _very_ close while working out. It could be nothing but in this game, you never know.”

“Exactly,” she agrees, nodding her head. “Thanks for your input, David.”

“Any time,” he tells her with a smile. He stands and walks over to her, hugging her quickly from where she sits. “Do you mind if I take one?” he asks, pointing to the licorice. 

“Go ahead,” she tells him. 

Once she’s alone again, she thinks about that conversation and about David. She just met him yesterday but she knows who he is. She knows who Alexis is. Their family just moved to Schitt’s Creek, the town that her husband is the mayor of. She, of course, didn’t tell the others that she is the first lady of the town she lives in and seeing David and Alexis, she worried they would know, but they don’t seem to know who she is. They moved to town a few months ago but she hasn’t run into them at all. She’s met Moira and Johnny, so seeing Moira as the host, was a huge shock but she kept that information to herself. All of this could make her an even bigger target and she can’t have that happen. She’s going to keep her mouth shut about David and Alexis but keep her eye on them anyway. 

Jocelyn was also very worried about Twyla. Knowing that she and Mutt dated and his strained relationship with his parents was why he and Twyla ended things was a big problem for her. After forming The Jazzagals last night, she spoke with Twyla privately and Twyla agreed to not tell anyone she knows she’s the mayor's wife. Twyla had told her that she likes her and doesn’t want that to make her a target and potentially leave. She immediately felt relief that things could go very well for her in this game. Now, knowing that Alexis and David don’t know who she is and the information she’s getting from them, she’s going to try to use them as assets in this game. Klair and Miguel are definitely on her radar. 

*

The Jazzagals are able to meet briefly and talk about nominations tomorrow. 

“Where’s your mind at, Jocelyn?” Ronnie asks her.

“Klair and Miguel,” Jocelyn tells her. “A lot of people have mentioned both of those names to me. I don’t trust Klair and frankly, I don’t really like her. She makes snide comments and she’s getting under everyone’s skin.”

“Yup!” Ronnie agrees, nodding along. “Her and Miguel have been flirting non stop.”

“It is week one, so if the house would want them up, I think that’s the safest thing for you and for us as a team,” Twyla tells them.

“I’d like to see Bob nominated,” Gwen says. “He hasn’t stopped hanging around me. This is why I wanted a restraining order on him when we got divorced but apparently he didn’t do enough to warrant one.”

They look between each other before Jocelyn says, “I’ll definitely consider nominating Bob. I think having a strong male competitor like Miguel or even let’s say Jake up, could cement Klair not winning the power of veto and we could send her out.”

“Oh Jake, now that’s a possibility,” Ronnie agrees. “There’s something about him that I’m not sure about.”

“I think he’s nice,” Twyla says.

Ronnie scoffs. Gwen says, “Of course you do, he’s gorgeous.”

Twyla blushes. “That’s not why,” she tries to deny. “He seems genuine, though we haven’t spoken that much.”

“He could be a good pawn, he seems like the type to fight hard to stay safe. I also heard he’s a fan of the show so he’d really be pumped up to win,” Jocelyn tells them. 

They continue to discuss the best possibilities for nominations, especially who to put up next to Klair to ensure she doesn’t win the power of veto and who wouldn’t leave over her during the votes.

*

With Alexis, Bob, Mutt, and Twyla now in the have-not room, everyone has their own bed so Patrick doesn’t have to share with David anymore. Why does he feel so disappointed by that fact? Mostly everyone has gone to bed. He sees Miguel and Klair outside smoking and talking. Ray is cleaning up where he just had a late night snack. Alexis and Twyla are in the washroom sitting and chatting, and David is making his way to their room but looks back at him before Patrick gets approval to come into the diary room. 

“There’s enough beds now that I get my own,” he starts talking. “So why do I feel - I don’t know, upset - no, disappointed by that? It was kind of awkward waking up to see that I had my arm slung over David. Good thing he was still asleep when I woke up. It took so long to fall asleep, I was hyper aware of David lying there beside me. We’re new friends, it shouldn’t feel this awkward to share a bed… right? I think I’m too in my head. It’s hard not to be in this house. There’s no outside distractions, no media, no phones, no books, nothing but each other and the game of Big Brother. I just hope we can get through this week with no problems for myself, David, and Stevie.” Patrick finishes up and exits the diary room. 

David’s in the living room now, just sitting there. “Hey,” Patrick says going over to him. 

“Hi,” David says softly. “You okay? You were in there a while.”

Patrick smiles at him, he’s been waiting for him. “Yeah all good, just talking, you know how it is in there,” he tells him as he sits down next to him. “Not going to bed yet?”

“Mm, not yet,” David says. “You?”

“Not yet,” Patrick repeats. David smiles at him so he smiles back. This is nice, just sitting here together, not wanting to be apart. They talk for a bit, not about the game but just about themselves before starting to get tired and deciding to head to bed.

They get to their bedroom and see Ted, Jake, and Stevie asleep in their beds. Patrick looks to David and says, “Goodnight, David.”

“Goodnight, Patrick,” David whispers back. They split ways, David going into the bed against the wall, and Patrick going into the bed next to Ted where Alexis slept the night before. Having two beds in between them, when the night before they slept in the same one, is disappointing to say the least. Even though David was pretty awkward at first, waking up and feeling Patrick’s arm around him felt really great. Patrick must have woken up at the same time because soon the arm was off him and Patrick was slowly getting up and out of bed. David pretended to still be asleep but his heart was racing. Now, there’s two beds in between them and all he wants to do is crawl into bed next to Patrick, _this sucks_.

DAY 3

Nominations are today and everyone doesn’t seem too bothered by it. The houseguests all seem to be on board with getting out Klair this week. She’s just the only one not privy to that information, nor is anyone who would tell her, like Miguel. There’s been talk about who she might be putting up next to Klair but no one seems to know who yet.

The houseguests are told to sit at the table. Jocelyn walks in after everyone’s seated and stands in front of the table leaving them a view of the screen where the two nominees' pictures will show up to determine who’s on the block this week. “This is the nomination ceremony,” Jocelyn begins. “As Head of Household, it is my duty to nominate two people for eviction. The first person I decided to nominate is-.” There’s a pause as the picture comes on the screen. “-Klair. I’ve decided to nominate you because there has been concern that you are in this game for the wrong reasons. The second person I have nominated is-,” she pauses again. “-Bob. I’ve nominated you because it’s the first week. We haven’t really spoken much these past few days and like I said it’s week one, it’s really difficult to make these nominations. I wish you both the best of luck in the power of veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.” 

The houseguests all stand before going around and hugging each other. That went very well, David thinks. He and his allies are all safe, and Klair is nominated which is what he wanted. Miguel isn’t up but he’s never spoken a word to Bob yet so that was a decent nomination in his eyes, but it also shows him where Jocelyn’s loyalty lies. She put up Gwen’s ex-husband, someone he’s noticed she’s spent a lot of time with these past few days. He decides to start paying a little more attention to them. 

*

Twyla’s not loving being a have-not and she can tell that her fellow have-nots hate it too but she’s always so positive and optimistic that she decides to see what she can do with the slop to make it more bearable for them all. Alexis hates it the most, saying how she’s used to not eating and doing liquid cleanses. Twyla doesn’t want her to not eat because of how gross slop is so she decides to try something new.

She finds her have-nots in the backyard so she puts the slop smoothies she made onto a tray and brings them outside. “Hey, my fellow have-nots,” She says making her way to them. “I decided to try something new for us, here are some slop smoothies.”

Alexis and Mutt grab one from where they’re standing in the pool, and Bob grabs the other from beside Twyla where he jogged over to join them. 

“Thanks, Twy,” Alexis says. 

They all take a sip and try to hide their disdain. “Yum,” Alexis tells her but not meaning it, it’s very gross.

“Yay, I’m glad you like it, I wasn’t sure how they turned out,” Twyla tells her. “Mutt, what do you think?”

“Mhm, what Alexis said,” he says, making Twyla smile. She feels much better knowing they like it and that she found a new way to eat the horrible slop. 

Once she leaves, Bob says to them, “This is so bad.”

“Poor thing,” Alexis comments. “We can’t tell her how bad it is.”

“Agreed,” Mutt says with Bob nodding along.

*

“Why the fuck am I even nominated though like this is so stupid,” Klair complains, looking over at Miguel who’s lying down on his bed. They’re the only two in the room. “Like what does that even mean _in here for the wrong reasons_? We’re all here to win half a mil, am I wrong or?”

“No, you’re not. I don’t know what she was trying to say with that. Do you think it’s because of us that you’re up?” he asks. 

She goes to sit by him and leans down to kiss him on the lips. “If it was you’d be up too. She just doesn’t like me I guess, and that’s fine cause I don’t like her either. I’m just going to fight my ass off to win that power of veto tomorrow,” she tells him.

“If I get picked to play and win, I’m using it on you,” he tells her. 

She grins and kisses him again. “You’re too sweet,” Klair says. “So I should definitely choose you if I get ‘houseguest's choice’.”

“Most definitely,” Miguel says, hand on her lower back pulling her down to him for another kiss before they decide to leave the room to not bring any more suspicion onto them. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the Power of Veto and will it be used to save either Bob or Klair from eviction?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter, we hope you're enjoying this fic as much as we enjoy working on it. Thanks for all the support by comments, kudos, and sharing it, it means a lot! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! 💖

DAY 4

Today is the day when six houseguests will play for the Power of Veto. David doesn’t want to play in this one but he’s very excited to watch. He’s hoping that if whoever wins does use it, it’s not used on Klair. The house has been talking, and it seems like everyone is on board for Klair to leave this week. Hopefully that stays the same because week one should be an easy out, not some huge complicated mess. David wouldn’t mind that, though, he knows how much that makes for great television.

Jocelyn lets everyone know it’s time to pick players so all 16 houseguests go into the living room. Jocelyn standing at the front of the room, Klair and Bob in the nomination chairs, and the others on the two sofas. “Only six players will compete in the power of veto, myself, the two nominees, and three players picked at random. Will the two nominees join me up here?” Jocelyn recites. Klair and Bob go stand on either side of her. “As Head of Household, I will pick first,” she says, reaching into the black bag of chips she has in her hands. “Stevie,” she reads the chip, holding it out for everyone to see.

Stevie stands and goes to the front, standing next to Bob who then reaches into the bag and pulls out his chip. “Ted,” he reads, showing the group the chip.

“Fun,” Ted says as he goes over to stand next to Stevie.

Klair reaches for a chip, hoping to get Miguel or houseguest choice so she can choose him. She sighs when she reads the name on the chip, “Mutt,” then showing the chip. This is not what she wanted at all. Mutt is Jocelyn’s son, if he wins he isn’t going to use it on her and she’s fucked.

“And I have to pick a host,” Jocelyn states. “I choose Ray!” 

Ray jumps up, “Yay!” Everyone laughs.

“Good luck everyone,” Jocelyn says before they all start to disperse.

Not long after, they’re all being told to head to the backyard and wait, apart from the six players and the host of the competition. 

“This is going to be fun,” Patrick says to David as they walk out into the yard and see the big thing filled with suds. 

David laughs as they make their way to the benches to sit and watch the competition.

The six players come out in tight shorts and tops, each in different colors. Jocelyn is in yellow, Ted in green, Bob in blue, Stevie in red, Mutt in purple, and Klair in pink. Jake whistles as they all walk out in their costumes making everyone hoot and holler. 

Ray then comes out in a robe and slippers. “Hello everyone!” he says when everyone is in position. “This competition is called ‘Loose Change’ and here’s how it works. On go, the players must race through the soap suds to find a coin. They will then bring the coin back to their vending machine and must toss it into the coin slot from behind the laundry basket. The first person to throw the exact change totalling $1.30 into their vending machine will win the Power of Veto!” he explains. “Does everyone understand?”

All six players yell, “Yes,” before the buzzer goes off and they all dive into the sudsy water. 

“Oh this really is fun,” David says to Patrick as they watch them all struggle to find coins in this huge thing filled to the top with suds. Stevie pokes her head out and she’s covered in suds making David laugh. 

It’s not the longest competition because soon Mutt is getting his coins in, Klair not far behind him. The alarm sounds signalling a winner and Ray says, “Mutt, you have won the Power of Veto!”

Mutt makes his way to Ray who puts the golden power of veto chain around his neck. “Thanks,” he says, accepting it. 

Jocelyn comes to him and hugs him tightly. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispers before letting him go so others could congratulate him.

Inside, the players aren’t able to change just yet because they all have to do diary room entries about the competition.

Mutt enters and starts, “I can’t believe I actually won that. I wasn’t trying to win but I saw that Klair was close behind me and I felt like I had no choice but to win. It’s my mom's HoH and her target is Klair, well, the house’s target seems to be Klair. Winning the first PoV was definitely not my plan but it’s still pretty cool. I think this looks good on me.”

“That was the worst thing ever,” Stevie says when entering the diary room next. “Walking out into the yard and seeing the whole set up, I knew I wouldn’t do well. I couldn’t see like the entire time. Suds were everywhere. Either way, that was not a competition I wanted or even needed to win. As long as Klair didn’t win, I would be happy. Mutt winning is great because nominations will stay the same but also puts a bigger target on his back and doesn’t put any attention on myself.”

“This win is the best case scenario. I don’t have more blood on my hands by winning but I know that Mutt won’t use the veto so my nominations stay the same. I am so proud of him!” Jocelyn beams when she’s talking in the diary room next.

“I was so close!” Klair groans as she sits down in the diary room. “It was not an easy competition. It may seem it but it was super difficult. I can barely see searching for those coins but I’m pushing through and doing well, I’m further along than most of the other players, apart from Mutt who’s doing really well. I can’t focus on Mutt, I need to focus on myself and try to win this thing.” It’s hard to talk like you’re in the middle of doing the competition when it’s clearly after it’s already done. She does what she’s instructed to before leaving to go take a much needed shower. Miguel comes to talk to her while she’s showering. 

“You did really well,” Miguel tells her, trying to make her feel better. 

She puts her head under the stream to wash out the shampoo and all the suds from earlier. “Thanks, babe,” she says. “That was not easy at all.”

“Definitely did not look easy. Do you think he’ll use it?” Miguel asks.

“Doubt it, he’s _her_ son,” Klair says with a roll of her eyes, grabbing the conditioner next and rubbing that into her hair.

“You could convince him. You’re very charming,” Miguel says, smirk in place.

Klair laughs. “Oh my God, shut up,” she says. “Flirt my way into coming off the block.”

“Why not if it’ll save that nice ass of yours,” Miguel flirts.

*

“So what are you going to do?” Alexis asks as her and Mutt are ‘lounging’ in the have-not room. 

“Not using it,” he tells her. “Pretty sure the plan is to evict Klair right?” 

Alexis nods. “Yes, yeah, that’s what I’ve been hearing,” she tells him.

“So yeah, just gonna leave it as is to not get blood on my hands and not make myself an even bigger target,” Mutt adds.

“Totally,” Alexis agrees. “Well, still, it’s exciting that you won.”

“Yeah it does feel pretty good,” he says with a small laugh.

Alexis twirls her hair around her finger. She asks, “So how’s it been living with your ex?”

“Not easy that’s for sure, especially now that we have to share a room this week,” Mutt says. “I have nothing but love for Twyla, she’s probably the best person I know. We just didn’t work as a couple.”

“Mhm, I get that,” Alexis tells him. “She’s super nice, I really like her. Hopefully things don’t get too awkward for you guys and that she won’t, like, want you out or anything.”

“Why? You don’t want me to go?” Mutt asks flirtatiously.

“I didn’t say that,” Alexis teases, smirk in place. “Just saying it’s been nice getting to know you.”

Mutt chuckles. “It has,” he agrees.

*

David’s sitting in the backyard with Ted under the shade. Rachel and Twyla are lying in the hammock together, and Ronnie and Ray are in the pool. Jake comes outside and goes to lie down, putting his head on David’s lap. He sighs and asks, “Run your fingers through my hair?” as he looks up at him.

David’s mouth is hanging open, shocked at the turn of events. He recovers quickly and mumbles out a “Sure” before running his fingers through Jake’s hair lazily. 

“Feels good,” Jake hums, eyes closed as he enjoys the feeling.

David looks at Jake confused before looking at Ted who shrugs at him. 

Stevie and Patrick come outside and see David running his fingers through Jake’s hair as they make their way over. Stevie rolls her eyes. “Move your legs,” she tells Jake who just lifts them up. She rolls her eyes again and sits down, accepting his legs onto her lap. 

Patrick feels awkward as he sits between Ted and David who’s got Jake’s head in his lap. He tries not to pay too much attention to it, striking up a conversation with Ted about hockey since he found out they’re both huge fans. His eyes keep looking at David’s lap and his fingers going through Jake’s hair. He’s using his left hand, the right is just sitting on Jake’s chest with his silver rings catching the light every so often. He looks over at Stevie and she doesn’t seem bothered by it one bit. Maybe he’s just reading too much into it. 

*

Rachel looks over to see Patrick sitting with Ted, David, Stevie, and Jake. She scoffs making Twyla ask her, “What’s wrong?”

She nods her head and Twyla looks over quickly to see. “The room buddies over there,” Rachel says. 

“Have you and Patrick spoken since the last talk?” Twyla asks her. She likes Rachel - she’s a nice girl and she feels connected to her since they’re both in here with ex-boyfriends. They’ve also been rooming together and getting to know each other. They have this unspoken agreement to work together and keep each other safe. 

“No,” Rachel sighs. “It’s like he’s avoiding me. Whenever we find ourselves alone together he makes up some excuse and hauls ass out of there.”

“That sucks,” Twyla comments. “I’m rooming with my ex and it’s pretty awkward. We haven’t really spoken about anything yet and it’s getting more and more awkward.”

“You should just talk to him. If you need closure, get it, you deserve some answers,” Rachel advises. 

“Yeah, I should, we haven’t seen each other in a year before this and we haven’t spoken really here. I’ll try to talk to him later on,” Twyla tells her. “And you should talk to Patrick, you’re still very upset and you also deserve answers.”

“I got answers but they definitely were not what I wanted to hear,” she tells her sadly.

“You want him back, huh?” Twyla asks softly.

Rachel sighs. “More than anything,” she admits. 

*

Jocelyn’s finishing up doing her hair in the HoH bathroom when Gwen comes into the room to join her, sitting on the closed toilet seat. 

Jocelyn high fives Gwen and says, “This is good.”

“So good,” Gwen agrees. “Did you speak to Mutt yet?”

“No but he’s not going to use it. He has no reason to. If he does, he’s just going to get blood on his hands. I’ll speak to him later though just to confirm,” Jocelyn informs her.

“I know you’d prefer Klair out but I have to vote Bob out,” Gwen tells her.

“I get it. I know you want him gone but don’t push too hard for it because you might end up making yourself a target and the Jazzagals aren’t the same without you,” Jocelyn says sincerely.

“That wouldn’t be smart of me to push for it. I definitely don’t need a target on my back yet,” Gwen agrees.

*

“Hey, can we talk?” Twyla asks Mutt when she finds him in the living room talking with Miguel.

“Sure,” Mutt says, standing to follow Twyla into the storage room filled with food and other things they might need. 

She starts with, “Congrats on the veto win, that’s exciting.”

“Thanks,” he says simply.

“I just wanted to talk about us for a minute. We haven’t talked about it since we got here and I hate feeling awkward around people, you know that,” Twyla tells him.

“I know, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be awkward, it’s just - both you and my mom being here, it just all got on top of me and I didn’t know how to handle it,” Mutt admits. 

“I get that,” she says. “Did you and Jocelyn talk?” She already knows they did since she and Jocelyn are working together but she doesn’t want Mutt - or anyone, to know about her alliance.

“Yeah, we did, it went well,” he tells her. “I wanna apologize for how I treated you when we were together. I never listened to you when you tried to get me to contact my parents and I resented you for constantly trying to make us talk. I see now that you were right and I should have told you this earlier. I’m really sorry, Twy.”

Twyla clutches her hands to her chest and says softly, “Thanks, Mutt. That means a lot. I’m really glad you could reconnect with your mom, she seems great.”

“She is, yeah, thanks,” Mutt says smiling. “Are we okay?”

“Yeah, definitely. Friends?” she asks, hand extended to him.

He takes her hand and laughs. Shaking it, he says, “Friends.”

*

Stevie, needing to use the washroom, removes Jake’s legs from her lap and heads inside. Patrick watches as she goes, chewing on his bottom lip. His eyes go back to David’s hand on Jake’s head and the thought of what Stevie thinks of that comes back to mind. 

Patrick stands up, picking up his personalized reusable bottle, and heads inside. David glances at him, wondering where he was going and wishing he would have stayed longer. 

Patrick finds Stevie in the washroom, washing her hands. No one else is hanging out there so he approaches her, leaning against the sink. “Hey,” he says trying to be casual. 

Stevie eyes him, _he is not smooth_. “Hey,” She says with a nod of her head. 

“Does it bother you to see Jake flirt with other people?” Patrick asks her. 

Stevie wasn’t expecting that question but had a feeling he was going to ask her about Jake with his head in David’s lap. She tries not to laugh, “Oh you mean flirting with David?” she teases. Stevie knows they have a crush on each other, she’s not blind. It’s only been a few days but spending 24 hours together you start to pick up little things about people. She rooms with them, she’s in an alliance with them, and she genuinely likes them as people. This game is important to her, she signed up because she felt this pull that this needed to happen. She’s starting to realize that it’s because she needed out from behind her nana’s motel, needed away from the front desk. Stevie needed something new and this was _definitely_ new. 

Patrick opens his mouth then closes it before saying, “Or like with Twyla and Alexis. Are you guys still dating?” 

Stevie sighs. She had this conversation with David night one and now she has to have it again with her other teammate. She looks around but no one is coming into the room. “We were hooking up for a while before coming on here but we haven’t really done anything since being here because of all the cameras. I also don’t want to be a bigger target by being in a showmance,” Stevie explains.

Patrick nods. Jake isn’t getting anything with Stevie and he flirts with other people. The thought of he and David hooking up just made him really upset. “I see, okay, so it doesn’t bother you to see him flirt with other people?”

“He’s not flirting with David, calm down,” She tells him. “He’s just like that.”

“What - why, um - why wouldn’t I be calm?” He stumbles over his words.

Stevie laughs before patting him on the shoulder and walking out of the room. The less they can be seen talking in private the better for their alliance.

Patrick watches her leave and frowns. If Stevie is fine with it then he surely shouldn’t have anything to worry about. So why does he feel this like deep aching sense of dread? 

*

Rachel is called to the diary room so she waits for the door to unlock before heading down the small hallway and going into the door on the left. She sits down on the blue love-seat and looks into the camera. “This isn’t an easy game,” she starts with a sigh. “It’s only been four days but it feels like almost two weeks. There’s people everywhere, you don’t know who you should or shouldn’t talk to. I’m living with my ex-boyfriend and I don’t know if I can even talk to him. I want to but anytime we’re alone together he makes an excuse and leaves. I should take that as a sign but-” She pauses, clicking her tongue. “We've been through everything together. We can’t just throw it all away so easily. He said we should work together in this game so maybe I just need to give him some space so people don’t assume we’re working together and want us out. Patrick’s been hanging out with David quite a bit and I don’t trust it. David looks like he’s going to go far in this game. He’s not annoying or loud or too quiet either. I kind of forget he’s here until I see him with Patrick. Is that mean?” She stops, she doesn’t want the country to think that she’s some petty ex. She sighs. “This game is hard. I feel alone and I don’t know who to turn to. I know I have Twyla as a friend but I don’t have any allies in this game. I miss my family.”

DAY 5

When Mutt wakes up he heads out of the have-not bedroom and to the kitchen. He passes by the living room to see ‘Power of Veto Ceremony’ on the TV screen. He knows what he’s doing with the PoV so he feels no stress seeing that it’s today. He drinks some water before making some coffee. He goes to use the washroom before going to the kitchen to sit on the counter and wait for the coffee to be made. Being a have-not these past few days have been rough. He can’t wait to not be a have-not and eat some real food. He can’t drink another one of Twyla’s slop smoothies.

“Hi, sweetie,” Jocelyn says, making her way down the stairs. “Any coffee?”

“Almost ready,” he tells her. She nods and heads to the fridge to grab the cream, toast bread and jam. She makes her toast and accepts the coffee mug her son hands her. Jocelyn can’t believe her life right now. 

Slowly, the other houseguests start waking up. Every day starts off the same, a flow has already started to form in the Big Brother house. After the PoV ceremony, the two nominees are going to have to campaign to stay, if they haven’t already started. The PoV ceremony will determine the final nominees - one of them would be leaving in three days on live eviction night. 

*

David stretches his arms above his head, waking up slowly before blinking his eyes open. He’s alone in the room. He flops his arms back down next to him with a sigh. He gets out of bed then makes it before grabbing his outfit for the day and heading to the washroom. The problem with living in the Big Brother house is that it is covered in cameras and the only completely private room is the one with the one toilet in the house. The washroom is wide open, showers covering up to your head so that if people want they can talk to you. It’s the weirdest experience of David’s life but he can’t complain because he’s wanted this since he was a teenager. He sees that it’s occupied so he asks Jocelyn if he could use hers. The HoH room has their own private washroom. He heads upstairs to use it in peace.

After he puts his pajamas away, he joins those in the kitchen, pouring himself some coffee and accepting the plate of bacon, eggs, and toast that Patrick made for him. Patrick makes breakfast for people some days. Others help each other out by making meals for everyone. It’s been weird living here but also really great. He saw that the PoV ceremony is today and he can’t help but feel a bit apprehensive about it. He’s pretty sure he, Stevie, and Patrick will be safe from seeing the block today, but it’s hard to not worry in this house. 

Patrick sees the frown on David’s face while they’re eating breakfast and asks, “Is the food not good?”

“Huh?” he asks confused. “No, it’s great, thanks.” 

“Okay,” Patrick answers. Alexis also thanks him for the food and is then pulled into a conversation with her and Miguel. He’s only half paying attention, his attention drawn to David without even realizing it. 

*

A little while later they all hear, “Houseguests, please head to the backyard to wait for the Power of Veto ceremony to begin.”

Everyone except for Mutt follows the producer’s directions, David moving slower than the rest. 

Noticing the frown on his face, Patrick chooses the seat next to him. He doesn’t think anyone noticed his eagerness to sit next to David; everyone seems to be focused on their own conversations except for Stevie who is smirking at him.

“Excited for your first veto ceremony?” Patrick asks David, leaning into him slightly.

“I don’t think w- _I’m_ -,” David corrects himself quickly, glancing around at the other houseguests. “-at risk. But as soon as you start to assume you’re safe is usually when you’re blindsided.”

“There’s no reason for big game moves in the first week.” Patrick studies David’s face, hoping to see some of the tension fall away. He’s disappointed, though, when David starts to bite his lip instead.

“I just don’t want to make a fool of myself on national television,” David says quietly. “I’ve been the joke enough times in my life already.”

Patrick aches to reach out to David- to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, to hold his hand, to do something, _anything_ to help ease his worries. But glancing around at the other houseguests, he decides it’s too risky to comfort David like that in front of everyone. Besides, would David even want it? 

He has to settle for what he hopes are reassuring words instead. “Anyone who has made you feel that way before didn’t deserve to be in your life,” he says. He wishes he could say more, but this isn’t the time or place. He doesn’t look her way, but he can feel Rachel staring at them.

“Thanks.” David offers him a small smile.

Before either has the chance to say anything more, the door slides open and Mutt sticks his head out. “Hey, guys. It’s time for the veto meeting.”

Everyone follows him into the living room where Klair and Bob take their places in the red chairs.

Mutt waits for everyone to settle in before clearing his throat. “This is the veto meeting. Klair, Bob, you have been nominated for eviction. But I have the power to veto one of the nominations. Both of the nominees have the chance to tell me why I should save them. Klair, you can go first.”

Klair stands up. “Thank you, Mutt. Aren’t you just the sweetest?” She flashes him a big smile. “If you use the power of veto on me, I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.”

“That’s it?” Stevie mutters under her breath when Klair sits back down.

David holds back his laugh as best he can next to her. “She’s used to writing Instagram captions.”

Bob stands up for his turn. “Thanks, Mutt. I know we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other yet, but I’ve enjoyed this week. It’s been nice not being completely alone.” He faces his ex-wife. “Gwen-”

“-Might be best to end it there, Bob,” Ronnie interrupts him from her seat on the couch next to him.

Nodding slowly, he turns back to Mutt. “Anywho, I sure do hope you’ll use the veto on me.”

Mutt waits for Bob to sit back down before addressing everyone. “Because it’s still early in the game, I don’t see a reason to shake things up yet. So for that reason, I’ve decided not to use the Power of Veto.” He takes the Power of Veto off and places it back in the box, closing the lid with a definitive thunk. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Everyone stands and goes about hugging each other. Patrick’s so confused why they hug after every ceremony, it’s very weird. He doesn’t mind it as much when he and David hug though. It feels strong - safe, something he never thought he was missing before.

The houseguests go back to what they were doing before or start something new. For Klair, she starts her campaigning. She’s not leaving this house without a fight. She can easily manipulate this house into voting Bob out instead. 

Klair thinks about who she has as votes. She for sure has Miguel and Bob’s ex-wife, Gwen. She needs a lot more than that to stay. She walks around the house to see who she could convince to keep her. She has to be subtle about it and not make people see what she’s really doing. 

*

Stevie and David are sitting on the sofa outside in the shade, talking and watching people. Alexis comes to join them, sitting in between them. She nods her head to Klair in the pool with Mutt, Miguel, Ted, and Patrick. “Look at her, she’s totally flirting with them to get votes,” Alexis tells them.

Stevie and David look over to see Klair laughing, her head thrown back and her hand on Patrick’s bicep. David can’t help but chuckle seeing Patrick move slightly away from her after doing that. “You think it’ll work?” Stevie asks her. 

“Ugh, I hope not. I want her out,” Alexis says, crossing her legs and resting her arms on them. 

David says, “Even if Miguel, Mutt, and Ted vote for her she still doesn’t have enough votes.” 

“The only other one she’s guaranteed to have is Gwen,” Stevie mentions. 

“Who’s Gwen?” David asks, making Stevie scoff. 

“That’s true,” Alexis comments. “But what if they rally behind her and convince people to flip the vote?”

“Alexis, if you panic, you’re going to make yourself a target. Relax, it’ll be fine. She’s leaving this week,” David assures her. People won’t flip week one, it’s rarely done. 

How could David be so sure? Alexis isn’t. She tries to remain calm and listen to her brother. He’s been a fan of this show forever, she can trust him on this, to have her back and keep her safe.

*

“Bob, I think you will be okay on Thursday,” Ray tells him from where they’re lounging in the sun. “Are you still going to campaign to stay?”

“You’re the one on town council, you know about campaigning. What do you think?” Bob asks him.

“Okay, yes but no. As it’s looking right now, Klair should be out the door with maybe one vote to keep her. Gwen seems to _really_ want you out,” Ray informs him, smile in place even with the bad news.

Bob laughs awkwardly, “Yeah, she keeps avoiding me.”

“Klair is campaigning hard though,” Ray tells him, nodding to where she is flirting with the boys in the pool. “Even with three more votes, she doesn’t have enough to stay. If you want to campaign you should but don’t make yourself a target in the process.”

Bob listens to what Ray has to say. He trusts Ray to have his best interest in mind in this game, he has Ray’s. 

*

After dinner, a few people one by one are called to the diary room. David did one earlier after the PoV ceremony so he should be safe for the rest of the evening, unless he really feels the need to go in there and talk things out.

He heads outside and sits down in a chair against the wall near the pool table where Patrick is playing against Mutt. Patrick smiles at him when they make eye contact. 

Stevie wanders over, sitting in the other chair next to David. “Whatcha doing?” she asks looking at him. She takes a sip of her hot cocoa that Jocelyn made.

David mutters, “Nothing,” before taking a sip of his own cocoa.

“Mhm,” she hums, looking over to where Patrick is bent over the table. She follows David’s eye line and sees that he’s checking Patrick out. 

Stevie snickers next to him and he asks, “What?”

“Oh you’re doing nothing, huh?” she teases, eyebrows wiggling as she nods over to Patrick.

“I don’t know what you’re insinuating,” David tells her, playing innocent. 

“Oh, that’s how you want to play it,” Stevie says before calling, “Hey, Patrick.”

“Stevie, stop it,” David hisses at her.

“Yeah?” Patrick calls at the same time.

Stevie looks to David before asking, “Can I play winner?” 

David takes a deep breath and glares at Stevie who just grins at him. “Uh, sure, Stevie,” Patrick says after looking at Mutt who nods his agreement.

“I hate you,” David tells her. 

Stevie laughs. “No, you don’t. Just tell him you like him, what’s the worst that could happen?” she asks.

“Uh, he could hear me?” David says, it comes out as a question. “He’s not interested in me.”

“How do you know unless you do something about it,” Stevie tells him. They’re quiet as they watch the rest of their game. Mutt wins and Stevie stands to put her mug on a ledge along the wall before grabbing the pool cue from Patrick who hands it off to her. 

Patrick takes her seat next to David and says, “Hey.”

“Hi,” he says with a smile. “You lost.”

Patrick tilts his head to the side, “Eh,” he says before looking at David face on, “Not really cause I’m sitting here with you now.”

David smiles, not able to help the cheesy grin he knows he has on his face. He laughs, making Patrick laugh too. “Cute,” David comments. 

“I thought so,” Patrick says, a grin on his face and David falls that bit more for Patrick and his perfect smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first live eviction of the season! Who will go home? And who will win the next Head of Household competition?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So we have some good news and bad news. Good news is that Big Brother (BB22) starts tonight at 9pm EST! We are so excited! It's an 'All Stars' season (take that term lightly... if you know you know) anyway, so make sure to watch it if you wanna know know more and actually see what's in our heads. Bad news is that we are going to only post once a week instead of two. Sorry!   
> Here is the next chapter, we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the support 💖

DAY 7

The past couple days have gone by pretty slowly. It’s been much of the same with Klair campaigning for votes, claiming to flip the house so she can stay. Bob’s been staying low but trying to casually get reassurance from everyone that he’s staying.

As for David, well, he’s learning some new skills in the Big Brother house, like laundry. He admitted to never learning how to do laundry and that made Jocelyn get up and drag him to the machines to teach him. “David, it’s not a good look,” She told him as she dragged him along. 

David can’t believe a woman who chooses to wear kittens on her shirt with ribbons is telling him what a good look is. Growing up wealthy, it didn’t leave him or Alexis time to learn basic life skills like laundry, cooking, and things like that. Living in Schitt’s Creek the past couple months, he’s had help from the woman who runs the motel to do laundry. Now, he’s living with 15 other people and they all have to fend for themselves and help each other out for this house to function. 

They went around the house asking people if they needed any laundry to be done so that David could learn. They’ve gathered a huge pile of dirty clothes and are now outside by the machines. Jocelyn’s explaining to him the difference in how you can wash clothes - by water pressure, temperature, color, item of clothing. It’s _a lot_. David feels his mind mixing it all together and he has no clue what any of it means. 

David bends down to grab some clothes by color as Jocelyn was just explaining, _I’ve got this, children know how to do this, I can do this_ , David tells himself. He puts them in the washer and does as Jocelyn tells him to with how to add in the detergents. 

“Great job,” She tells him, hand extended for a high five. 

“I don’t do-” He starts to say but she puts her hand closer so he gives in and high fives her reluctantly. 

Jocelyn tells him, “Now once that machine stops, you want to put it in the dryer but check to see which items because some may not go in.”

“Mhm, got it,” David nods. He heads over to the sofa under the umbrellas against the wall where Patrick, Ray, and Ted are sitting. 

David sits down next to Patrick with a big sigh. Patrick chuckles. “Tough day?” He teases.

David looks at him so he can see him roll his eyes. “Shut up,” He says poking his shoulder. 

Patrick grins. He loves to tease David, it’s just so easy. 

After dinner, David heads back outside to the machines to get the clothes out of the dryer. He opens the machine and puts the load into the basket. He notices that some items are a bit smaller than before. “ _Fuck_ ,” David curses under his breath. 

He feels someone come up beside him and jumps a little. “What’s going on?” Stevie asks him. 

“I shrunk some of the laundry,” He tells her honestly. “What am I going to do?”

Stevie can’t help but burst out laughing. David smacks her arm and says, “You are not helpful!”

“I’m sorry but this is hilarious,” She says through her laughter.

“Ugh!” David groans. He picks up the basket and walks over to the sofas and puts it down on the ground and sits with a plop. He starts folding the normal sized items as Stevie sits with him and _actually_ helps him. 

Patrick walks outside to see David and Stevie folding laundry and can’t help but smile - this is so not like them but it’s nice to see. “Hey guys,” He says, going to sit on David’s other side just as David’s pulling out his shirt from the basket. “Is that my-?” He asks cutting himself off as he sees the guilty look on David’s face.

“It’s not that bad, I don’t think it shrunk that much, you can totally still wear this,” David tries before sighing defeatedly seeing Patrick’s face as he takes the shirt from him and can tell it’s shrunk a bit, not crazily so but still - it looks tighter. “I’m _so_ sorry, Patrick. It was my first attempt at laundry and I forgot to check before just throwing everything into the dryer and _fuck_ , I’m so sorry,” David apologizes, his face so sincere and open, Patrick smiles.

“It’s fine, David, don’t worry about it,” Patrick tells him honestly. How could he be mad at him when he’s looking at him like that?

David’s face scrunches up and he asks, “Are you sure?”

Patrick chuckles, looking up at him through his lashes. “I’m sure.”

“Okay,” David says reluctantly but still feels so awful for ruining his shirt. He hasn’t even seen Patrick in that shirt this week, he probably picked it up by mistake. _Ugh!_ David groans internally, now he feels even worse. 

Stevie teases him, making Patrick laugh and also starts teasing him. “This is really fun for me, I’m having a lot of fun,” He tells them with a sneer making them laugh some more. Patrick knocks his knee against his and gives him _that smile_ that just _does things_ to him as he leans across him to grab some clothes and help them fold.

David tries not to blush at their closeness but he feels it, looking away and grabbing more clothes to fold. Their little bubble is broken when Klair and Miguel walk over to sit near Patrick. 

The trio finish up folding quickly, putting each item back in the basket. Stevie offers to bring it inside, depositing them on the table so people can grab what’s theirs, Stevie putting away what she knows belongs to whom like Patrick’s new tight as fuck shirt. 

Outside, Klair is asking David, Patrick, and Alexis who joined them after Stevie went inside, who they're planning on voting to stay. The trio lie, telling her they haven’t made a decision yet. 

"Alexis, babe, you're going to vote for me to stay," Klair tells her, assuming she will have her vote since they're ‘friends’. 

Alexis has no plans to vote her to stay but says, "Totally, babe." 

David tries not to laugh at the face his sister makes, knowing for a fact she's lying. He needs to be cool. "So how many votes do you have?" He asks Klair, wondering what it's looking like so far and if anyone might have flipped. 

"Well, Miguel, Alexis, and Gwen for sure," Klair tells him, hand on Miguel's thigh. 

"Mhm," Alexis hums, eyes wide, nodding. 

"I just really don't trust Jocelyn," Klair tells them. 

Stevie comes back outside and sits by Alexis. Klair continues, "Jocelyn is sketchy. She's playing the mom card by teaching you laundry," she points to David, "And cooking, and cleaning, and doing things that will make people want to keep her around long-term. She's going to skate through to the finals without actually deserving it. And she has Mutt who is a beast and can keep her safe. I think they're a very dangerous duo that needs to be split up." She splits her fingers apart for emphasis. 

As Klair talks, more people have gathered around and listen to her proposition them. "If you keep me, I will split that power duo up."

The houseguests that have gathered nod along, listening to her and taking in her offer. It would be good to keep someone who would go after Jocelyn and Mutt but is it too risky to keep her since she's such a wildcard? 

Ray slips back inside after hearing Klair talk about going after Jocelyn and Mutt. He finds them both in the kitchen with Bob, Ronnie, and Rachel. "Just so you know, Klair is outside talking about how she's going to go after you, Jocelyn, and you, Mutt, if people flip and vote to keep her," Ray informs them. 

They all head outside, Ray trailing behind them with a wicked grin on his face. He wants to cause as much chaos and drama as possible without getting any of the heat. He’s such a good, nice guy that his plan is to use that to get far in this game. 

He sits down, without causing attention to himself as Mutt asks Klair, "So what's this I hear about you coming after me?" 

Klair looks at him point black and says, "Yeah, I said that. You're a beast, babe-" she starts to say when Mutt cuts her off saying, "Don't call me babe."

"You're a beast, why wouldn’t I want to go after you? You're in a powerful duo with your mom who's HoH and trying to get me out." Klair stands, looking around the backyard, everyone now outside. "Listen up! If you vote to keep me, I'm coming after you," she points to Mutt, "and you," points to Jocelyn, before sitting back down, crossing her legs and flipping her hair over her shoulder.

David sucks his lips into his mouth trying not to laugh when he catches Stevie doing the same thing next to Alexis. 

"You can say whatever you want, promise whatever you think you can, but you're going home tomorrow," Jocelyn tells her. 

"She's not worth it," Mutt says, hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Proving my point further you guys!" Klair tells them, seeing their support for one other, knowing everyone sees it too. She hopes this puts enough doubt in people's heads to get them to vote for her to stay.

*

"Well, that was interesting," Ronnie says, when the Jazzagals are able to meet up in the HoH room later, after most people have drifted off to bed.

Jocelyn shakes her head. "What a b-word!" She says making Ronnie chuckle. "You don't think that will work, do you?"

"No," Twyla tells her. "I spoke to some people and everyone still seems on board with evicting Klair."

"Even if we hear anything about a flip, we'll dissuade people from doing that," Ronnie informs her. "We can't have anyone coming after our gal!"

"You know, I have your back," Gwen tells Jocelyn. "But I still gotta vote Bob out."

Jocelyn chuckles. "I know, it's okay."

"She's gonna have yours and Miguel's votes, that's it," Ronnie reassures her teammate. 

*

"That was fucking hilarious," David says once Klair and Miguel left the backyard and so did most of the other houseguests. It's just him, Patrick, Stevie, Alexis, Rachel, Ray, and Mutt.

Mutt's shaking his head. "She really thinks she can come after me and stay this week?" He laughs. 

Alexis smacks his arm lightly, flirtily. "As if," She says. 

"I don’t trust her," Rachel says. She's trying to integrate herself more with the other houseguests and seeing Patrick sitting with this bunch, she figured that she would find out where their heads are after seeing that small blow up.

"No one does," Stevie agrees. "Still funny as fuck though."

The others laugh, all agreeing. Mutt groans, "She better not have given me a target for no reason. It's not like I'm even a duo with Jocelyn," he tells them. "We hadn't spoken in five years before a few days ago."

"Wow, I can't imagine not talking to my parents for that long," Patrick comments. 

"This will be the longest you've gone without speaking to them," Rachel says, a small smile on her lips when their eyes meet. 

Patrick nods, not saying anything back. 

"She was just blowing smoke up everyone's ass," Stevie says to Mutt. "She has no other option but to pick someone to come after to desperately try to stay tomorrow. I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Mutt nods, thanking her for the reassurance, though Stevie has her eye on him. She doesn't trust anyone in this house 100% apart from herself. She trusts David, they did make a final two on day one. And she also trusts Patrick and Jake to keep her safe but it’s usually only until it affects them as well. In the end, she can only truly trust herself in this game.

DAY 8

Patrick’s the first up in his room. He sits up in bed and looks over seeing Ted in the bed next to him asleep on his back, arm lifted above his head. He sees Jake and Stevie in the next bed over, sleeping on their stomachs. Lastly, his eyes land on David in the furthest bed from his, sleeping facing the wall but he so wishes he wasn’t so he could see his face - soft and sleepy, not a care in the world. The first time Patrick saw David’s sleeping face was the morning after they shared that bed and Patrick could feel his breath being knocked out of him at the sight. He’d never felt like that about anybody before, never wanted to keep watching the other sleep because they just looked too perfect and peaceful to disturb. 

He gets out of bed, not wanting to look like such a creep on television. He sometimes - okay, mostly forgets that _all_ of this is being filmed. Patrick makes his way out of the bedroom passing by the living room and sees the words on the television screen. 

**_Live Eviction Today_ **

The first live eviction of the season. Another reminder that this is a television competition show and he is here to win half a million dollars. Getting the right person out each week is key to this game. Patrick knows he, David, and Stevie are safe tonight but it’s critical of what comes next. They don’t want to win the next Head of Household but they also don’t want someone they think is a threat or who thinks of them as threats to win either. It’s coming on week two and it’s still early to see who will be the next potential threat but things can flip on a dime in this game. He’s learning quite a lot of this game, thanks to David. Stevie doesn’t know much either so it’s great they’ve teamed up with David who is a huge super fan making him such a great ally in this competition. He just can’t let that spill to anyone else or he could be the next target. And David is definitely not someone Patrick wants to leave anytime soon. If it was up to him, he and David would be the final two. 

*

The day moves by pretty quickly, there’s only some odd hours left until the live eviction starts and a lot will have changed. There will be fifteen people in the house and a new person in power for the week. Klair is still campaigning and Jocelyn is making sure the house still evicts her. It’ll be an almost unanimous vote with just Gwen, Bob’s ex-wife, and Miguel, Klair’s showmance, voting Bob out tonight. Easy week, unless Klair finds a way to flip the votes and stay, causing chaos going into week two.

Houseguests are either being called to the diary room one by one or are asking to go in, others are getting ready to be on live television, and others just lounging and enjoying the day. 

David heads to his bedroom to get his clothes that he’s laid out on his bed in preparation for the live eviction. He sees Patrick in the room, buttoning up this weirdly length shirt he’s wearing. David stops dead in his tracks at the sight. 

Patrick smiles at him and says, “Hey, David.”

David remembers to move and stop staring. He says, “Hi,” as he makes his way over to the bed. David looks over to Patrick from where he stands in front of his bed, before he thinks, he asks, “Is that the shirt I accidentally shrunk?” He cringes at himself.

Patrick, finished with his buttons, looks at him then down at the shirt. “It is, but it’s fine, I think?” He says but it comes out as a question.

David, basically drooling at the sight regardless of the length of those awful sleeves, says maybe too quickly, “Yeah, no, it looks -” he finds himself needing to swallow, “Fine, yeah,” he finishes lamely, nodding his head. He can feel himself blushing, looking back at the clothes laid out. 

“Phew,” Patrick chuckles lightly before looking up at him through his lashes. 

David smiles at him then he takes his clothes from where they’re still lying on the bed. He nods his head at Patrick as he passes him to the door and says, “I’m gonna go change,” before leaving the room. He privately changes in the washroom’s stall before going over to ask to be let into the diary room.

He has to wait until Mutt comes out before he’s finally let in. He basically throws himself onto the seat in front of the camera. He sighs and says, “Did you get a look at Patrick in that shirt?” He looks into the camera, elbow on his knee that’s crossed over his leg, and rambles, “He’s so hot, _ugh_ , why does he have to be straight? Or is he? I don’t know but there’s no way he’s into me and this is getting difficult to crush on him in this game and know nothing will come of it or if I even want it to. Showmances always make you a threat and it might not even last outside the house so why risk it?” He groans again. “Patrick’s just so hot, though,” he says more softly. “He’s also like _really_ nice and just like - a good person. He’s funny and he’s really smart. I’ve never felt so close to anyone like this before. Stevie too, but I don’t have a crush on her like I do Patrick.” He knows he should finish up here so he says, “I just hope whatever this is with Patrick, how I feel, doesn’t negatively impact my game. I love this game and I like Patrick, even if he’s not into me and we’re just friends _and_ teammates.” He nods before standing up and leaving the room. It’s never not going to be weird coming in here and doing this.

He spots Patrick standing in the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest and laughing. David finds himself unmoving and staring again. He looks _so_ good, _what the actual fuck_. David walks into the kitchen passing by Patrick, an exchange of smiles, as he continues on into the washroom to make sure his hair is good and finish his look with his skin care routine. It is a live eviction episode tonight.

*

“Houseguests, please make your way to the living room. The live eviction will begin shortly,” Big Brother announces. Everyone makes their way into the main room from wherever they were previously. Klair and Bob take the two chairs - the chopping block chairs, while everyone else sits on the two long sofas on either side of the chairs. 

*

“Good evening, I’m Moira Rose, and welcome to Big Brother,” Moira announces into the camera as the live show begins outside of the Big Brother house. The crowd cheers and she smiles at them as the camera pans to the screen where a recap of what happened in the first week plays for the audience at home and the live audience. 

“This sure has been an interesting first week. Klair and Bob are on the chopping block, and the house seems to be united in evicting Klair but not everything is as it seems in the Big Brother house,” Moira reads off the prompter. 

*

The houseguests are seated and waiting, they are allowed to converse with each other but they must stay there for when Moira will come onto the screen for the live vote. The first thirty minutes of the live episode is just showing stuff that happened in the house after the Power of Veto meeting. David’s curious as to how they’re all portrayed on television, especially himself. How and what the producers are showing, he’s excited to watch it all back when his time is up, which hopefully won’t be for another 80 days or so. Not until he wins Big Brother.

His mother’s face pops up onto the screen and she’s saying, “Good evening, houseguests.”

The house all start to say hi to her and waving their hands. She continues, “The live eviction will begin shortly but before we dive into that. Bob, Klair, you both have been nominated for eviction. You have thirty seconds to plead your case to your fellow houseguests on why you should stay in this game. Klair, you go first.”

Klair stands and says, “Thank you, Moira.” She looks at everyone seated near her and says, “Houseguests, I want to first say how grateful I am to be in this house with you all, it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and play this game with you. If you keep me in this game, I will be an asset to you. Everyone knows who my targets are if I stay so do the right thing and keep me. Thank you!” 

David looks at Stevie across from him who rolls her eyes and he has to stop the snort that tries to escape. Bob stands next and says, “Hi everyone, I’m not very good at this,” he laughs, making a few people smile. “I know that I don’t want to leave this game tonight, or any of you. This has been such a great experience and it would be really devastating if it ended tonight. Do what’s best for your game, I respect you all either way. Thank you,” He finishes before sitting back down and looking over at Gwen, who’s only looking at Moira.

“Thank you both,” Moira says. “One by one you will go into the diary room to cast your vote for eviction. The two nominees and the Head of Household will not be voting.” Everyone nods along, knowing the drill. “Mutt, you’re up first,” Moira tells them. “Please head to the diary room.”

Mutt stands and walks around the front of the sofa to the door in the wall near them. He goes inside and production tells them the order of how they will be voting.

*

“Mutt got into an argument with Klair yesterday, she tried to put a target on his back, it is likely who he will be evicting tonight,” Moira tells the audience as Mutt makes his way into the diary room and sits down on the chair in front of the camera. “Hello, Mutt,” She greets him.

“Hi, Moira, you look ravishing this evening,” He tells her with a dashing smile.

Moira says, “Oh you’re too kind. Please cast your vote for eviction.”

“I gladly vote to evict Klair,” Mutt says. Moira thanks him and he exits out of the diary room, passing by Miguel.

“Miguel and Klair have a showmance happening in the house, his vote should be obvious,” Moira tells the audience. “Hello, Miguel.” 

“Hi Moira,” He says with a smile.

“Please cast your vote for eviction,” She informs him.

“I vote to evict Bob,” Miguel says before rushing to add, “Love you mom.” He gets up and heads out passing the next houseguest.

*

Stevie, the final houseguest to vote, sits back down and they are told there is a commercial break and then the vote will be revealed. It passes quickly and soon Moira is back on their screen.

“Houseguests, the votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest will have thirty seconds to gather his or her belongings and walk out the front door,” She informs them.

All anticipating the vote. “By a vote of 10 to 3, Klair you have been evicted from the Big Brother house. Please say your goodbyes, gather your belongings, and walk out the front door.”

Everyone stands as Klair hugs Miguel. She understands, she knew it would be tough to flip the vote but it still sucks, she didn’t want to be the first out. 

She hugs almost everyone, apart from Jocelyn and Mutt, before saying, “See you later, bitches!” She grabs her bag and leaves the house. They hear the live audience clapping as she exits and they see a glimpse of the outside before the door closes behind her. 

The houseguests go to the wall of pictures and watch as Klairs face turns black and white. 

*

Klair walks out and is grinning from ear to ear as the audience claps for her. She shakes Moira’s hand and puts her bag down, sitting on the stool opposite her. “Klair,” Moira says. “What happened?”

Klair sighs. “I guess I was just too much of a real bitch for that house of fakes,” she says.

“First out is hard, what would you have done differently if given the chance?” Moira asks her.

“Um, I don’t know that I would do anything differently. I was myself one hundred percent and if that’s not good enough for those people then so be it. I wish I could have stayed longer but it is what it is. I’m not going to compromise who I am just so people will like me,” Klair tells her.

The audience claps for that. Moira asks, “What about Miguel? You two seemed _very_ cozy in the house. Is that something that will continue outside?”

Klair grins and says, “You’re making me blush, Moira! Um, totally, if he wants to, I know I’d be down. He’s a great guy and I definitely would like to see him again.”

“I’d like to ask you something. You were friends with Alexis years ago and you know that I am her mummy, why isn’t that something you’ve told the other houseguests?” Moira asks her, curious as to what would make her keep her mouth shut on something that could have shifted the target from her to either Rose child.

“Like you said, Alexis and I were friends, I didn’t want to use that and have her or David become a target. We spoke about it briefly on day two, Alexis and I, she asked if I would spill and I told her I would never do that because I’d like to be able to work together in the game,” Klair explains, hands crossed over her heart. The audience claps as Moira smiles at her, patting her arm gently. “Since you were the evicted player tonight, your fellow houseguests have left some goodbye messages for you, watch and listen here,” She informs her, pointing to the screen behind her.

Miguel pops up on the screen. “Klair-bear,” He says with a deep sigh. “If you’re seeing this, we couldn’t get the votes to keep you. It’s going to suck being in this without you. You’re the realest, most authentic, coolest chick I’ve ever met. I hope to see you on the outside, babe.”

Alexis is next, she’s saying, “Klair, it was so great to see you again and like what a crazy coincidence right?” She laughs. “I’m sorry I couldn’t vote for you to stay but the house wanted you out and I can’t jeopardize my game in the first week. Hope to see you once this is all over. Bye, girl!”

Mutt comes on the screen next. “Klair, Klair, Klair,” He says shaking his head. “You thought that you could just start spewing shit all over the place about me and Jocelyn and that would be enough to keep you in this game?” He laughs. “I’m glad you’re seeing this and are out of this game. You talked too much and spread lies, everyone caught onto your bullshit day one. Have a nice life.”

“Wow,” Klair says when the messages are done. “Mutt’s - whatever,” She dismisses. “I’m shocked Alexis didn’t vote for me. I knew I’d have Miguel and Gwen but seeing that third vote and now knowing it wasn’t Alexis is crazy.”

“Any guesses of who it might be?” Moira asks her.

“I don’t know…” She says, confused. “Alexis not voting for me hurts but I get why she did what she did, there’s no hard feelings, she’s still my girl.”

“Well, you’ll see it when you watch it all back at home,” Moira tells her. “It was a pleasure, Klair.” She shakes her hand and says, “Stay right there.” She looks to a camera and says, “Coming up, the Head of Household competition. A new houseguest will be in power, find out after the break.” 

*

The remaining houseguests are informed to change into their outfits for the competition while outside Klair has her goodbye interview with Moira. Once they’re changed into their golf attire, they go outside to see the backyard transformed into a golf course. 

Patrick’s walking next to David and bumps his elbow into him. He whispers, “You look great,” with a small smile.

David rolls his eyes. “Please, I look ridiculous,” he tells him.

Patrick’s about to speak but they're informed to pick a number out of the hat. He smiles at him as they walk over. Once everyone has the order of who will go first, they all get in line. 

Moira’s voice comes through the speakers. “It’s time for the second Head of Household competition. As outgoing HoH, Jocelyn, you will not compete. This competition is called ‘Golf Invitational’ and here’s how it works. One by one you will shoot your shot to get a hole in one. The person who gets a hole in one will be the new HoH, if there is a tie, the houseguests will go again and the person who gets it will be the new Head of Household. Everyone understand?”

“Yes,” everyone says. 

“Great,” Moira says. “Earlier, by random draw, you picked the order of how you will shoot, and David, you’re up first.”

David doesn’t want to win HoH, nor does he even think he’ll win, he’s never played golf in his life. He swings the club and it actually connects with the ball but it goes out of bounds so he’s out, walking over to sit next to Jocelyn on the benches. 

Jake is next and he doesn’t get a hole in one so he also goes to sit on the bench. One by one they each shoot. There’s only five people left - Gwen, Rachel, Miguel, Bob, and Stevie. Gwen goes next and gets a hole in one.

“Wow!” Moira’s voice comes through. “If the next four houseguests cannot get a hole in one then Gwen will be the new HoH.”

Rachel, Miguel, and Bob all shoot but don’t get a hole in one. Stevie’s last to shoot and she knows she doesn’t want to be HoH so she hits poorly on purpose, only getting it a few feet ahead of her. 

“Congratulations, Gwen! You are the new Head of Household. Jocelyn, please, hand over the HoH key to Gwen,” Moira says over the speakers.

Jocelyn goes over to put the key necklace around Gwen’s neck before hugging her tight. “That was amazing!” She tells her. They part quickly, not wanting to draw too much attention to how happy Jocelyn is that Gwen won.

*

Moira turns to the camera and says, “Gwen is the new Head of Household, how will this change the game? Tune in Sunday night to see who she will nominate for eviction. Then tune in on Wednesday to see who will win the Power of Veto and if it will be used on one of Gwen’s nominees. Then one week from tonight, another houseguest will be evicted and a new player in power.” The camera pans away from her to show more of the set. She points to one of the cameras close to her and finishes, “Let’s listen in on the houseguests. From outside the Big Brother house, I’m Moira Rose, goodnight!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen is the new HoH, how will this affect the game? Who will she nominate? And the third vote is revealed to some of the houseguests, how will they react when they find out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope everyone's having a great day. Here is the next chapter, hope you like it! 💖

The remaining houseguests make their way back inside after the Head of Household competition. They're told not to change out of their costumes for the competition because they need to do some diary room sessions about the HoH competition. 

David leans against the kitchen counter as some of the other houseguests talk about the competition and how poorly they did. David's only half listening; he couldn't care any less about how the competition played out. His mind is still thinking about how Patrick told him he looked good in his golf outfit. He finds himself smiling and quickly wipes it away upon realizing. He doesn’t need to explain to anyone should they ask why he’s randomly smiling to himself. 

David nor his teammates (Stevie and Patrick) needed to win that competition so he's glad they didn't. He's just not sure how this week will play out with Gwen in power. The whole house knows she isn't fond of her ex-husband, Bob, so he's most definitely a nominee and more than likely her target. It's who she is going to nominate next to Bob. Will she nominate someone meek like Twyla or Rachel, or will she nominate someone like Jake or Mutt who could easily win PoV? David just doesn't want to find himself on the block or for Stevie or Patrick to be on the block either. If the three of them could slide through this week without any issues, then David counts that as a win. 

*

The evening passes quickly with some houseguests being asked to come to the diary room. Gwen shows off her HoH room after dinner, Bob nearly in tears as she reads her letter from home, written by a friend she met on the internet.

One thing people keep talking about in small groups is who the third vote was to keep Klair. Alexis knows it wasn't her but she gets the feeling people assume it's her. Some, including Mutt and Jocelyn, have asked her straight up if she cast that vote.

"No, I wouldn't vote against the house like that," she tells them as they sit in the backyard together on the sofas with Patrick, Twyla, and Stevie. She wants to say she wouldn’t vote for someone who would go after Mutt but she doesn’t want people to think they're working together or a showmance or something. They aren’t. They only flirt a little here and there but their bond is forming slowly. She likes Mutt, he could keep her safe in this game and she didn’t think that mattered to her when she started this whole thing but now she’s really starting to get into it. She’s also working with Ted and she knows David has her back, but the more people protecting her, the better.

Stevie says, "I didn't think it was you. It could be someone who just wants to fuck with people’s minds."

"Who would do something like that?" Twyla asks, concerned. 

"Well, we know Gwen and Miguel voted Bob out," Jocelyn says, narrowing it down even though everyone knows those two were definite votes against Bob. 

"If it's someone just fucking with the house then that's messed up, but if it's someone who wants to come after us-," Mutt tells them. "-then that's a bigger issue, and I'm gonna need to figure out who did this."

*

The Jazzagals find a moment to meet in the HoH room. Most of the house trickled off to bed and some still outside. 

The four of them start jumping up and down, excited about their continued reign of power. Having another member of their team in power is such a thrill. They get to control the game for another week, and nobody knows they're working together.

"That comp was made for you, Gwen," Twyla says, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Look at us, running this house!" Ronnie exclaims making the other gals laugh.

"We have some time but I think you all already know that my target is Bob," Gwen tells them. The gals all nod, figuring that would be her move. 

"Who are you thinking of putting next to Bob?" Jocelyn asks her.

"Maybe someone like Jake? He could easily win the PoV, which limits Bob's chances of winning. Not that I think he'd win," Gwen says with a chuckle.

"True but we never know what the competition will be. I think that's a good idea though," Ronnie says. “I don’t trust Jake. He’s very flirty - _cocky_.”

"If you don't want to make waves you should tell him in advance though, just in case," Twyla informs Gwen. "We don't want him coming after you because of this."

They have time until nominations so once they've decided, and ultimately, when Gwen makes her final decision on who's going to sit next to Bob, she will talk to that person to let them know they are just a pawn. 

*

After talking with that small group outside, Stevie heads inside and to her room. She finds Jake and Rachel talking - well, Rachel’s giggling and looks a little flushed like she’s been blushing _a lot_. “Hey,” Stevie says, making her way over to rummage through her things for her pajamas.

“Hi, Stevie,” Rachel says as she gets up from Ted’s bed where she was sitting. Jake on his and Stevie’s bed. “I’m gonna go get ready for bed”

Stevie nods her head at her as she leaves. “What was all that about?” Stevie asks Jake, not turning to look at him. She doesn’t care what he does but she cares if what he does affects her game and she needs Jake to be a shield for her. 

“Just chatting,” Jake says. “Gotta make some friends in here, you know? Get all of our grounds covered.”

“Gotcha,” She says, finally turning to look at him, pajamas in hand. 

“C’mere,” He says, moving his legs off the bed so he can pat the space next to him. 

Stevie rolls her eyes and goes to sit next to him. “What?” She asks when he doesn’t say anything.

“I gotta tell you something that you can’t repeat. You’re my girl in this, right?” Jake asks, looking at her intently. 

Stevie can’t seem like she doesn’t fully trust him so she nods her head and immediately says, “Of course,” even though for some weird reason she trusts David, and even Patrick, way more than she does Jake - and she’s been sleeping with Jake for a year. 

“Knew I could count on you,” He tells her with a killer smile. “So the thing is…” He starts to say then he lowers his voice an octave, “I was the third vote to keep Klair.” He’s smirking and she so badly wants to smack it off his face but she can’t help but laugh.

“You know everyone’s freaking out about this,” She tells him.

Jake laughs. “That’s kind of the point,” He says. 

She was right. She knew whoever the third vote was did it to fuck with the house, and it actually makes perfect sense to her now that Jake’s the one that did it. He’s always been such a little shit stirrer. “You’re crazy,” She says with a small chuckle, shaking her head. She stands and says, “I’m gonna go change.”

“You can do that here,” He says, holding her wrist, stopping her from going anywhere.

Stevie scoffs. “Yeah for you and millions of people watching, no thanks,” She says before leaning down and kissing him on the lips, momentarily distracting him so she can break free. 

Jake throws himself down on the bed and Stevie laughs as she leaves the room. 

DAY 9

Gwen is called to the diary room so she waits for the door to unlock before going through. She walks down the small hall and opens the door to the diary room on the left. She sees a note and takes it back out with her. 

Gwen calls everyone to the living room and once everybody is seated she reads the card. “It’s time for our first have-not competition! Everyone get ready and meet me in the backyard,” Gwen tells them. 

Alexis, Mutt, Twyla, and Bob really don’t want to lose this competition and be have-nots again. Sleeping in an uncomfortable room, eating slop, and taking cold showers was not fun. 

They are to split into three teams of five - Gwen is playing on a team but she is HoH so she won’t be a have-not if her team loses, and the teams are chosen at random.

The ‘red’ team is Gwen, Jocelyn, Ray, Ronnie, and Miguel. The ‘yellow’ team is Jake, Stevie, Ted, Twyla, and Bob. The ‘blue’ team is Patrick, David, Alexis, Rachel, and Mutt. 

David is not usually a competitive person - he is, he just doesn’t think so - but when it comes to food, sleeping comfortably, and taking hot showers, David is _definitely_ competitive. And so is his team. Alexis and Mutt were already have-nots so they do not want to lose, and he’s seeing a side of Patrick he’s never seen before.

Gwen tells everyone where to stand before informing them of the competition. “This competition is called ‘Sweet Tooth’ and here’s how it works. On go, one person from each team must jump into the caramel, crawl under the straw, and get into the giant box of popcorn. Hidden in the popcorn are missing teeth. You must find one sweet tooth and bring it back to your mouth before the next team member can go. The first team to fill their mouth with ten teeth will be the haves for the week. The losing team will be the have-nots. Does everyone understand?” She asks. 

The houseguests nod their agreement or yell it out. Gwen gets into position with her team and each one figures out in what order each player will jump in. Each player will have to get two teeth from the popcorn. 

The sound goes off and the first player from each team jumps in. Mutt for blue, Jake for yellow, and Miguel for red. The other team members cheer them on.

This caramel is _so_ sticky. They were not expecting this. Mutt pushes through it all, he doesn’t want to be a have-not again. He finally gets through and jumps into the popcorn, his foot knocking into one. He dives down and grabs the tooth before jumping out and going back to the mouth to put the tooth in. Jake’s also getting back to his mouth and so is Miguel. At least the blue team is ahead to start. Patrick goes next and David can’t help but drool over the sight of him covered in caramel. He just wants to lick it off of him. He shakes himself out of it to cheer him on instead and watch as he moves faster than anyone in caramel has any business moving. Jocelyn is moving slower in the caramel, and Stevie’s doing pretty well also. 

Patrick’s looking for his tooth and he runs back out with it. “Yes! Common Patrick!” They cheer for him as he makes his way back to put the tooth in the mouth then it’s Alexis jumping into the caramel. 

Each player tries to focus on the task ahead of them and not look at the progress of any other team. 

Alexis is doing well, she finds a good groove to getting out of the caramel quick before jumping into the popcorn. Stevie made it back and Ted is zooming through the caramel. Jocelyn finally is making her way back to the mouth with her tooth before Ronnie can jump in.

David’s next and he jumps in and he hates it. It’s unbelievably sticky, it feels gross against the hair on his legs but he pushes past it, focusing on getting out of it and not letting his team down, not letting himself down. 

He makes it out and into the popcorn, finding a tooth is harder than he thought but he finds one and heads to the mouth. 

This competition takes a while and soon enough, the yellow team is close on the blue team's heels, and the red team is pretty behind. The blue team gets all ten teeth into the mouth and become haves for the week. They jump for joy all hugging as a group and realize that was not a good idea because of how sticky they all are. The yellow team also gets all ten and are also safe. 

The red team (Miguel, Jocelyn, Ronnie, and Ray) are have-nots for the week. “Congratulations blue team and yellow team, you are haves for the week. Unfortunately, that means the red team you will be have-nots,” Gwen informs them. 

They all make their way back inside while the crew gets rid of the competition outside and all the props as the houseguests get cleaned up. Everyone rearranges themselves in different beds since there is a bed for everyone now that they are ten haves (four have-nots and one HoH). David stays in the bed against the wall, Patrick takes the one closest to him, Ted in the bed next to him, then Alexis at the end. Stevie, not wanting to be too obvious about working with David and Patrick ends up moving into the room with Rachel and Twyla. And the last room has Jake, Bob, and Mutt. 

“I can’t believe you moved into that room,” David tells her when they find a moment to talk privately in the room nearest the washroom. 

“Well, I don’t really trust Rachel, she’s Patrick’s ex and I always see her hanging out trying to get close to him and I don’t want her ruining our alliance. It’ll be good intel. Plus, it keeps eyes off of us three if we’re living in the same room,” She tells him. 

“You’re right. It’s just gonna be weird not seeing you and Jake canoodling in the bed next to mine,” David teases. She smacks his arm making him laugh.

“So, I kind of need to tell you something but you didn’t hear it from me,” Stevie warns him. “Jake was the third vote to keep Klair.”

David lightly gasps and says, “I knew it.” 

“He told me last night, said he did it to fuck with people,” Stevie informs him.

David groans. “People think it was Alexis. What a dick, I have to tell her but then it would get you into shit especially if he doesn’t tell anyone else,” He rambles. 

“Tell her if you want just figure out a way to keep my name out of it or make sure she doesn’t say anything, if you do decide to say my name,” Stevie tells him.

“I wouldn’t throw you under the bus, not even to my sister,” David says, winking at her.

He knows he needs to tell Alexis. If this lie could make her a target he has to do something about it. David finds her later in the hammock so he joins her on it. It takes some maneuvering but they’re both in there.

“So I have something to tell you but you have to trust me that I have a plan and you have to follow it,” He tells her.

“Oh my God, what, David?” She asks, concerned now. 

“I know who the third vote was,” He says. She gasps and he shushes her. “I’m going to tell you who it was and what you need to do. You can’t just go telling everyone and making this a huge thing. You’ll create a target for yourself.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” She tells him.

“Jake was the vote. He did it to fuck with the house,” David says. Alexis groans and he continues, “You’re going to tell Twyla that you heard it was him. You’re not gonna tell her who told you but just that you know this to be true. And you’re going to ask Twyla to promise not to tell anyone. Twyla is close to Jocelyn who is close to Gwen who could potentially nominate him. Or if Jocelyn does find out from Twyla, she could tell Mutt and either of them could blow up at Jake making him a target and you wouldn’t be responsible for causing that scene that leads him to be a target. You get what I’m saying?” He asks her.

Alexis smacks his leg and says, “David, you’re a genius,” in a hushed tone. “I’m impressed.”

“Thanks,” He says shaking his head. “So don’t tell her yet. Wait until later, maybe find a natural moment when you’re alone to bring it up.”

“I got this, David, I was able to sneak out of a hostage situation because I convinced the guy that was responsible for keeping me tied up to let me go,” She tells him.

David looks at her so confused. Her stories are always so insane. He did always wonder what she did on all her many foreign adventures. Apparently high risk situational adventures.

*

Later that night, Alexis finds Twyla in the washroom washing her face. She goes about also washing hers in the sink next to Twyla. She’s about to leave when Alexis says, “Hey, Twy.”

She dries off her face in the washcloth as Twyla turns back to her. “Yeah?” She asks.

“Can I talk to you about something?” She asks.

“Of course,” Twyla tells her. 

“Maybe in private?” Alexis says but it comes out as a question. She wants Twyla to see how unsure she is and maybe make herself more vulnerable so Twyla knows to trust her.

“Sure,” Twyla says. They make their way over to the room near the washroom. Twyla looks inside and sees it’s empty so they go in there. 

Once they’re seated Alexis says, “I really need to tell someone this and I feel like we’ve really bonded being have-nots last week and I think I can trust you.”

“You can trust me, Alexis, I wouldn’t betray you,” Twyla tells her, hand on hers.

Alexis smiles at her before taking a deep breath. “Okay, so Jake was the third vote to keep Klair,” She tells her.

“Oh my God,” Twyla says, mouth slightly open in shock. “How do you know this?”

“Um, I don’t really want to betray their trust but I know it’s true and I just feel so mad cause like - people think it’s me,” Alexis tells her.

“No kidding. I would be too,” Twyla says. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to make myself a target and what if he says I’m the one who’s lying? I know I didn’t vote for her to stay but that’s just my word. Ugh,” She groans. “This is frustrating.”

“I’m sorry, Alexis, this really does suck. I can’t believe Jake cast that third vote. That’s so sketchy,” She says.

“Right?” Alexis agrees.

*

After talking to Alexis, Twyla finds Jocelyn in the storage room. She wants to keep it to herself but Jake being the third vote affects more than just Alexis. It affects someone in her alliance and she needs to tell her about it. 

“So I have to tell you something but you can’t tell anyone who told you,” Twyla starts.

Jocelyn closes the fridge, looking at Twyla intently. “What is it?” She asks her.

“Jake was the third vote,” Twyla tells her. “I can’t say who told me but that it’s true.”

Jocelyn crosses her arms. “Why would he do that?” She asks, confused.

Twyla shrugs. “I don’t know,” She says. “What do we do?”

“We can’t make it a big thing because Mutt and I were already involved in an altercation. We don’t need more drama to make us bigger threats,” Jocelyn says. 

“Yeah, that’s true. Are you going to tell Mutt?” Twyla asks.

“I have to tell him that he can’t trust Jake,” Jocelyn tells her. “And maybe we tell Gwen too. His name has already been mentioned so maybe this could cement that,” She adds with a little shrug.

Twyla chuckles. “Devious,” She says, making Jocelyn laugh. 

Twyla leaves the room to not be too suspicious.

*

David’s sitting on the sofas with Ronnie and Miguel when he notices from the corner of his eye, Twyla coming out of the storage room and going towards the bedrooms. He then sees Jocelyn come out of the room drinking from her water bottle. David holds in the laugh that tries to escape. His plan is working already. 

*

Mutt’s finished his workout with Jake when he sees Jocelyn making her way over to him. Jake passes by her as he heads inside to shower. “Hey,” He says to her when she approaches.

“I heard some interesting news just now,” She tells him.

“What’s that?” He asks, putting his hands on his hips.

“You cannot blow up over this though, we have to be smart,” Jocelyn warns him. 

Now he _really_ needs to know what is going on. “What is it?” He asks again.

“Jake was the third vote,” She whispers to him. 

Mutt’s in shock. “What?! How do you know this?” He asks. He and Jake have a good thing going, why would he vote to keep Klair who is targeting him? Unless he wants him out.

“I’ve got a reliable source who knows this to be true,” She says. He rubs his hands over his face and Jocelyn touches his arm. “Listen to me, Gwen was already thinking of putting him up. I’m going to push for it to happen and we get him out. Don’t create a big fight. We have enough eyes on us,” She explains.

“You’re right,” He says with a sigh. He knows that if he makes it a thing, he’ll have more people targeting him and he doesn’t need that this early in the game.

Jocelyn winks at him. “I got you, okay?” She asks.

“Yeah, I trust you,” Mutt says because of course he does. He has no reason to not trust his mother. 

*

Later that night, David is playing pool against Patrick with Alexis leaning against the wall near them, sipping on her tea. “I would have thought something would have blown up by now,” She tells them.

David just explained the plan to Patrick. “Maybe they’re playing it smart and instead finding a way to get him nominated,” He supplies. 

“Ooh that’s true,” David says. “We just assumed Mutt would pop off when he found out but Jocelyn is smart.”

“She could easily be getting him nominated since she’s so close to Gwen,” Alexis says. 

David still forgets who Gwen is and is constantly being reminded she’s the HoH this week. He nods along. “A fight would have been fun,” David pouts.

Patrick chuckles as he lines up for the next shot. He’s happy that Jake could actually get nominated this week. He doesn’t trust the guy one bit. 

Alexis says her goodnight before heading inside and leaving both men alone. Most people have gone to bed, some inside chatting or having a late night snack. Ray and Bob are sitting on the sofa underneath the big umbrella, a good distance away from David and Patrick.

“How did you get so good at pool?” Patrick asks him after he sinks his last colored ball into the pouch and is going to go for the black ball.

David smirks at him as he passes him to go line up his shot. “I lived in New York for years, went to a lot of pool bars,” He says before leaning over the table. “Right corner pocket,” He adds before hitting the ball and getting it in. 

“Wow, impressive,” Patrick says as David grins wide. “Wait, you said _lived_? Where do you live now? At our little orientation thing you said you’re from New York.”

 _Shit_. David did not mean to make it past tense. He needs to be careful of slips like that to other people. David walks to stand closer to Patrick who watches him intently. “I lived in New York for almost fifteen years before moving back home. Then we were forced out of our home by the IRS and FBI because our shady business manager left with all our money. We were forced to live in some podunk town that apparently my dad _actually_ purchased for my birthday one year,” He tells him in a hushed tone, not wanting anyone else to hear. “Obviously you cannot repeat this.”

“I wouldn’t,” Patrick says immediately. “But wow, that’s - that actually sounds familiar.”

David sighs. “My last name is Rose,” He whispers to him.

Patrick’s eyes widen as it all clicks together. He heard about the Rose family losing their fortune and moving but then they weren’t heard from after that. This happened less than a year ago. He kept up with the story because he used to work for a Rose Video back in high school. He figured all was fine for the family when he saw Moira Rose as the host of the show. Patrick wouldn’t have expected that both of the Rose children would be on this show.

“I know, it’s a lot,” David tells him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away or Stevie, she doesn’t know. It’s just - I don’t want people to know me and Alexis are who we are or else we’ll be huge targets. I don’t know if _she’s_ why we’re on the show but I’m choosing to believe that I got in on my own. Nobody can find out about this.”

“David, I need you in this game. I promise I will not tell a soul,” Patrick promises him with a reassuring smile. David smiles back softly, nodding his head. He can trust Patrick, he knows he can. It’s still hard for David to trust so easily. He’s been betrayed and backstabbed in the past, and that wasn’t even because of a half million dollar prize. Patrick isn’t like his past exes who have hurt him. He’s a kind and trustworthy man. David’s just gotta have faith in Patrick. 

DAY 10 

It’s nomination day and Gwen has her mind made up. She’s spoken to her alliance and with their backing she knows she’s making the best decision for them all this week.

She just needs to talk to one person before naming her nominees. “You wanted to talk?” Jake asks from the doorway of the HoH room.

“Come in,” She says from where she sits at the small table in the room.

Jake comes in, door closing behind him. He goes to sit in one of the love-seats facing her. “How you doing?” He asks her.

“So look, I need to nominate you,” Gwen says directly. 

“Okay, why?” Jake asks, sitting up more in his seat.

“I want Bob out,” She says. Jake relaxes a bit as she continues, “I need someone up against him who can win veto so he stays on the block and leaves on Thursday.”

“And that person is me?” He asks.

“Exactly,” She says with a nod of her head.

“The pawn could go home,” He says, unsure. He knows he could win against Bob but what if someone else wins and he stays on the block? He’s one of the biggest physical threats in this competition. The house could easily decide to knock one out earlier rather than later.

“You won’t,” Gwen tells him.

*

Jake heads to his bedroom and is thankful the room is empty. “Shit,” He says to himself. Why the fuck is he going to get nominated? He sits on the bed and looks into the camera. “What happened?” He asks into the lens. 

He shakes his head. Knowing Bob is the target and not him makes him feel better but not. On the one hand, how could _Bob_ ever be a bigger target than he is? But on the other, if he doesn’t win PoV, he could easily be going home on Thursday. 

Stevie comes into the room and goes right to him. “What’s going on?” She asks.

Jake shakes his head. “Gwen is putting me up against Bob,” He says. “I have to win PoV.”

“Uh, yeah!” Stevie tells him. “Why is she putting you up?” She knows that David told Alexis about him being the third vote but that’s as far as she’s getting involved. She knows they had some plan and this might be why but she can’t tell him that. 

“She said it’s because I’m a good competitor and she needs me to win the Power of Veto so he stays up. Did you tell anyone about the vote?” He asks her, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Of course not,” Stevie says, _except for David_. 

Jake sighs. “This sucks,” He says. 

She puts her hands on his arms and looks him in the eye. “If she puts you up today, you’ll win the PoV, and you’re going to use it on yourself and stay in this game,” She tells him. She needs him in this game. He’s a shield for her and he has her back. Jake cannot leave this week.

*

“Houseguests, please gather at the table for the nomination ceremony,” Big Brother tells them. 

Everyone except Gwen makes their way to the kitchen to sit at the table. 

Gwen walks in with a small box with two keys inside. She stands at the head of the table, putting the box down, and recites, “As Head of Household, it is my duty to nominate two people for eviction. I will say the names of the two people I have nominated and their faces will appear on the memory wall.”

Gwen looks at every one and says, “The first person I have nominated is -” there’s a pause for dramatic effect as she turns the key and his picture shows up on the memory wall. “Bob.” 

“The next person I have nominated is-” Gwen says, turning the second key and the next picture joins Bob’s on the memory wall. “Jake.”

There’s a pause before Gwen continues, “I have nominated you, Bob, because I don’t want you in this house or in this game. I have nominated you, Jake, because you are a strong physical player. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

Everyone stands as they go to hug either Bob or Jake. Both men knew they would get nominated today but it still stung to see their faces pop up. Bob just wants Gwen back - he wishes she would love him again. Jake loves this game and he can’t leave yet, not in week two.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the Power of Veto? And will it be used to save either Jake or Bob from the chopping block?  
> Romance seems to be blooming in the Big Brother house, will we see our first showmance of the season?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm excited for you all to read this chapter. It's the longest one yet and it was a lot of fun working on together. 
> 
> Enjoy! 💖

DAY 11

The day is pretty quiet as they wait to be told when they can pick players for the Power of Veto competition and when it will begin. Jake’s hoping for a competition that he can win, not wanting to be on the block come eviction night. It wouldn’t be the first time in Big Brother history that a physically threatening player gets sent home early because they were dumb enough to be the pawn. He can’t let that happen to him. He needs to win this PoV. 

*

David is lounging on the sofa with Patrick, waiting to hear about the PoV. Patrick says, “I kind of really want to play this Veto.”

“I don’t,” David says. “Hopefully you get picked.”

“Hopefully you don’t,” Patrick says, making David smile. 

“Why do you wanna play so bad?” David asks him.

Patrick shrugs. “No reason,” he says, but David can tell there is a reason, he just doesn’t want to say it.

“Mmmkay…” David hums. If Patrick doesn’t want to say then he’s not going to push it.

“I just -” Patrick starts then stops, taking in his surroundings. No ones in hearing distance so he continues, “I kind of want Jake to stay on the block.”

David twists his mouth to the side trying to hide his grin. “Same,” he agrees. Patrick seems relieved by this. “I don’t like that he’s letting people believe Alexis was the third vote. It’s very sketchy, and I don’t like that she can be a target cause of it.”

Patrick nods in agreement, though why he wants Jake gone aren’t solely for those same reasons. 

*

“It’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition,” Gwen calls after coming out of the diary room. The houseguests gather in the living room; the two nominees in the chopping block chairs, everyone else on the sofas. Gwen stands at the head of the room with the box filled with name chips in front of her. 

“Only six players will compete in the Power of Veto. Myself, the two nominees, and three players picked at random. Will the two nominees join me up here?” 

Jake and Bob walk over to stand on either side of Gwen. “As HoH, I will pick first,” she continues. She reaches her hand inside and pulls out a chip. “Rachel,” she reads from the chip before showing the other houseguests.

Rachel claps as she stands, walking over to stand next to Jake who picks a chip next. “David,” Jake reads with a small smirk on his face, turning the chip to show everyone. 

David sighs but smiles as he makes his way to stand next to Rachel. Bob reaches into the box next and pulls out a chip. “Houseguest choice,” he reads, showing the houseguests. “Ray?” he says but it comes out as a question.

“Oh goody!” Ray exclaims as he jumps up to go stand next to Bob.

“And I need to pick a host for this competition and I choose…” Gwen says looking at everyone. “Alexis!”

“Oh yay!” she exclaims, clapping her hands together. 

*

“Of course I got picked,” David whines as he and Patrick walk into the storage room. 

Patrick laughs. “And of course I didn’t,” he says with a sigh. David looks at him with a bit of pity so Patrick shakes his head. “It’s fine.”

“I really didn’t want to play but I am going to gun for it. If the noms could stay the same then I think that's the best case scenario for us. Even for Stevie, though she might not agree right now,” David says.

“I get why. She’s close to Jake and he’s a shield for her,” Patrick comments. “Do you think they have a final two deal?”

David shrugs. “Possibly,” he says. He can’t tell Patrick that _he_ has a final two deal with Stevie.

“I just know that I want it to be the two of us on finale night,” Patrick says with a small smile. 

David smirks. “You asking me for a final two?” he teases.

“I guess so,” Patrick says with a chuckle. “What do you say? Wanna be my ride or die in this thing?”

David can’t help but grin at Patrick. He’s so damn cute. “One hundred percent,” he says, mouth twisting to the side in a shy smile.

*

Alexis tells the houseguests that it’s time for the Power of Veto competition so the six houseguests get changed into their outfits while everyone else heads outside to sit and wait for the competition to begin.

The six players come outside in their matching outfits - shorts and a tank top, each in different colors. Alexis then comes out in a cute bee costume, twirling around to give the full effect. Ted can’t keep his eyes off of her. She’s the cutest bee he’s ever seen. 

Alexis waves to the houseguests and then reads from her card, “In this competition, you must look through the field for letters. One at a time, you must bring them back to your board. Once brought back to your board, you must spell a word out and try to achieve the longest, correctly spelled word, which will be revealed one at a time. The person with the longest, correctly spelled word will win the golden Power of Veto. Does everyone understand?” 

“Yes!” everyone calls out. 

“Great. Once you have your word, buzz in to solidify your time. On your marks, get set, go!” Alexis calls out before a loud buzzer sounds. 

The six players run into the field to start their search for what letters they need to spell the longest word to win the PoV. 

Jake knows what word he wants to spell so he immediately looks for what he needs. Finding one letter, he runs back to his board to leave it there before going back for the next letter. 

David has a word in mind but he’s not sure of the spelling so he hopes for the best.

Gwen doesn’t want Bob to win so she’s going full force for this veto, not wanting to target to come off the block.

Ray would love to win the veto to take his partner, Bob, off of the block. 

Rachel doesn’t care to win so she plans for a word she knows could possibly make her win but also isn’t the longest word she can think of so hopefully someone else wins it.

Bob has a word in mind and is going hard for the win.

Each player buzzes in - Gwen, Jake, Rachel, Ray, Bob, and lastly David. “Okay, one by one you’ll reveal your word. Gwen you buzzed in first so we’ll start with you,” Alexis tells them.

Gwen opens the top of her board to reveal her word. “My word is competition,” Gwen says, revealing the correctly spelled word. 

“That is a correctly spelled 11 letter word,” Alexis declares. “You are currently in the lead. Jake, please reveal your word.”

“My word is understanding,” Jake says, revealing his board. 

“That is a correctly spelled 13 letter word, you are now in the lead! Sorry, Gwen,” Alexis says. “Rachel, please reveal your word.”

“My word is compassion,” Rachel says, revealing her board. 

“That is a correctly spelled 10 letter word, not enough to beat Jake’s 13 letter word. Sorry, Rachel,” Alexis tells her. “Ray, please reveal your word.”

“My word is figuratively,” Ray reveals. 

“That is a correctly spelled 12 letter word but not enough to beat Jake. Sorry Ray,” Alexis tells him. “Bob, please reveal your word.”

“My word is forgiveness, which is all I want from you, Gwen,” Bob says, revealing his board.

Alexis feels so sad for Bob. “That is a correctly spelled 11 letter word. Sorry Bob, it’s not enough to beat Jake,” she informs him.

Over on the sidelines, Stevie whispers to Patrick, “Didn’t Gwen cheat on Bob, why does he need forgiveness?”

“Who knows,” Patrick says with a shrug before turning his attention back to the competition and to David. 

“David, please reveal your word. You need a 14 letter word to beat Jake,” Alexis tells him.

“No pressure or anything,” David mutters. “My word is-,” he says as he reveals his board. “-Technotronics,” he finishes, looking very unsure.

Alexis sucks her lips into her mouth to not burst out laughing. “I’m sorry David, that is not a word; you have been disqualified,” she tells him. “Which means, congratulations, Jake! You have won the Power of Veto!” 

Jake yells, “Yes!” as he jumps with excitement. He makes his way to Alexis who puts the golden Power of Veto necklace around his neck.

David looks at his board confused. _How is this not a word?_

He sees Stevie hug Jake and Patrick making his way over to him. David rolls his eyes when he sees the smirk on Patrick’s face. 

“Technotronics huh?” Patrick teases, both of them looking at the word on his board.

“Shut up,” David says, making Patrick burst out laughing. He can’t help but also laugh hearing Patrick laugh so loudly and freely. David pushes Patrick’s shoulder and says, “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” he says with a smirk. “What was your thought process with this one, though?”

David rolls his eyes. “I thought it was a real word! I’ve definitely heard it before,” he says. “I had an ex who was very into the technotronic club scene, if you must know.”

Patrick looks like he’s holding back more laughter making David smack his arm. Stevie makes her way over and David has to roll his eyes again seeing the smile on her face. “Don’t even start,” he tells her.

“I’m sorry, what did I do?” she asks innocently. 

“David’s a little sensitive about his word choice,” Patrick tells her.

“Okay, first of all, can we not talk like I’m not standing right here, thanks so much,” he says with a wave of his hands. “And secondly, I thought it was a real word, clearly I was mistaken.”

“Wow,” Stevie says, barely containing her laughter. 

“I hate you both,” David says before walking away, hearing their laughter behind him. 

*

Jake enters the diary and sits on the seat in front of the camera. “I JUST WON THE POV!” he exclaims. “I’m so pumped right now. I can’t believe I actually won a spelling competition on top of it all.” Jake laughs. “This is so sick! I’m so happy to get to pull myself off the block and not have to sit through an eviction on Thursday. Being the pawn can only keep you safe so long. I never want to be in that position again.” 

He looks down at the golden power around his neck and holds it in his hand before looking back into the camera. “I think this suits me,” he says with a laugh.

*

After dinner, Ted offers to clean up and so does Alexis surprisingly. Well, not so surprisingly to Alexis. She wants to spend some more time with Ted and this could be a good way to. 

Being in a final two with him secretly has been great. He’s a very good ally. He’s nice, smart, funny, kind, generous, thoughtful, organized. Okay so Alexis might have a little crush on Ted. She wasn’t expecting it but this is Big Brother and the motto is to _expect the unexpected_ and all that. He’s not her usual type but she thinks that could be really good for her. Someone who will look out for her. Though, she doesn’t want romance to cloud her alliance with him. She doesn’t want to make them targets for no reason.

“Thanks for helping, Alexis,” Ted says with one of his sweet smiles, looking at her from where he’s rinsing off the dishes in the sink. He hands her items one by one to put into the dishwasher. 

“Oh, no problem.” Flipping one of her free hands. “I was actually hoping we could spend some time together without looking suspicious,” She adds in a whisper.

Ted blushes slightly. Alexis asks him about his homelife and what he likes to do in his free time from saving animals. The conversation flows freely between them as the two work on cleaning up. Alexis finishes loading the dishwasher and adds in the soap as Ted moves to wipe down the kitchen island.

She starts the machine but immediately sees suds pouring out from underneath it. “Oh my God, Ted,” She exclaims, taking a step back before it wets her feet in her cute wedges. 

Ted turns to see the mess that started and immediately goes to stop the machine but enough suds and water has pooled around them in the kitchen. Ted starts laughing which makes Alexis laugh and the two of them are just laughing like idiots in a puddle of water and suds. 

Ted excuses himself to go grab some towels from the washroom to help their cleanup. He tosses one to Alexis who catches it. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, we’ll clean it up soap-er fast,” Ted says, emphasizing his pun making Alexis giggle.

“Ohhh,” She says, pressing her finger into his shoulder flirtily.

*

Later that night, Gwen is able to corral the Jazzagals together in the HoH room. Everyone is all cute in their pajamas - Twyla sipping on some tea in a fluffy robe, Gwen sitting at the small table nibbling on some snacks, Jocelyn and Ronnie sitting on the bed. 

“So who you gonna nominate as a replacement?” Ronnie asks, addressing the reason they’re all there and not heading to bed just yet.

“I was thinking of someone like Rachel to ensure that Bob leaves this week.”

“You don’t think Rachel would get voted out over Bob?” Jocelyn asks, curious. She hasn’t spent much or _any_ time really with Rachel. For all she knows she could be a bigger threat than Bob of all people.

“No. She’s a sweet, quiet girl. I’m HoH and usually people tend to want to do what the HoH wants and I want Bob out,” Gwen speaks with finality.

Her Jazzagals agree with her. Voting out Jake would have been so fun but alas he is safe now and they may as well appease their teammate.

DAY 12

David wakes up the morning of the PoV ceremony to find the rest of the bedroom empty. He’s the only one staying in this room who hasn’t adapted to getting up before production’s early morning wake-ups. He’s a little torn by that; he wants to sleep in as late as they’ll let him, but Patrick is really cute before he’s fully awake and he no longer gets to see that.

He goes about his morning routine in the bathroom before heading off to find Patrick, hoping it’s one of the mornings that Patrick decides to make the house breakfast. David finds him sitting alone on the couch, staring at the screen with the PoV ceremony announcement.

“Hey,” he says quietly, not wanting to interrupt him. “Mind if I sit down?”

“Of course.” Patrick looks away from the screen, flashing him a warm smile. “Sorry, no breakfast today. Gwen called me up to her room to talk about her replacement nominee.”

David freezes, the color draining from his face. “She didn’t ask you to be the replacement nominee, did she?”

“No, no, no,” Patrick says quickly, noticing David’s panic. Without thinking, he puts his hand on David’s knee and rubs his thumb back and forth gently. “And not you either.”

“Okay, I thought things were going to get very dark for a second.” David takes a deep breath, settling himself. “What did she want then?”

The diary room door opens before Patrick can answer, Jocelyn coming out of it. “Morning!”

“Hey, Jocelyn,” they both reply, watching as she heads to the kitchen.

“Um, I’m not so sure about this shirt,” Patrick says, looking down at his blue t-shirt.

David’s brows furrow in confusion. It looks like almost all of the shirts David has seen him in so far, other than the shirt David accidentally shrunk, which was doing him a favor if anything based on how Patrick looks in it now.

“I was thinking maybe I should wear something a little nicer for the PoV ceremony,” Patrick continues. “Can you help me choose?” He gets up and holds out a hand to help David up, leading them both to their bedroom.

“What’s going on?” David asks when Patrick closes the door behind them. “Why do you need to dress up for the PoV ceremony? I thought you weren’t going up on the block.”

“I’m not,” Patrick says, sitting down on his bed and motioning for David to join him. “But I wanted us to have privacy for this conversation.” He waits until David gets settled. “Gwen wants to put up Rachel. She figures that’s a safe way to make sure Bob goes home. But she wanted to make sure first that I wouldn’t be campaigning to get Rachel out. She tried to make a deal with me.”

“Did you make an alliance with Gwen?” David asks, stunned.

Patrick laughs, shaking his head. “I said she _tried_ to make a deal with me. And it wasn’t an alliance offer. She said if I helped her get Bob out this week, she’d help me get Rachel out next week.”

David grins. “Sounds kind of like an angry exes alliance to me.”

“Well, I didn’t take her up on it. I said I had no problem voting out Bob this week, but that I wasn’t going to go after Rachel until she gave me a reason to.”

David frowns, contemplating. “Do you think she’ll think you’re teamed up with Rachel, though?”

“I don’t think so,” Patrick shrugs. “I told her I wasn’t happy having her here, but that she doesn’t seem like a threat right now.”

“That doesn’t sound as reassuring as you think.” David sighs. “I should go up there and see what she’s thinking without giving away _our_ alliance. I just hope she doesn’t try and make me listen to her music again. What a waste of an HoH perk.”

“I’m guessing it wasn’t Mariah?” Patrick teases.

“How did you know she’s my favorite?” David asks him. In less than two weeks, Patrick has already gotten to know him better than most people have his whole life. Spending 24/7 with someone, you learn a lot about them.

“You hum a lot,” Patrick replies, his smile growing as David starts to blush.

“I do not hum. That is incorrect.”

Laughing, Patrick leans back against his pillows. “You do, production is constantly telling you to stop. And it’s mostly Mariah, but also some Tina. You really get into ‘The Best.’ It’s cute.”

David’s blush deepens at Patrick calling him cute. “You’re making that up. I wouldn’t hum that song. It’s the lyrics that are most important. No one realizes how romantic they are.”

Patrick tilts his head in thought. “You’re right,” he says, after a pause. “About the lyrics. Not the humming. You definitely do it.”

“And it’s cute?” David asks, feeling bold, smirk on his face.

“Yeah.” Patrick’s gaze flicks to David’s lips briefly before making eye contact with him again. “But everything you do is cute, so you shouldn’t be surprised.”

Alexis bursts into the room before David can start to think about what Patrick thinking he’s cute means or could mean for them. “There you are!” she exclaims. “Patrick, I am _starving_ . Do you think you can make those egg thingies you made the other morning? They were _so_ good.” Her hands are in the motion of praying, hoping he will say yes.

“Eat glass, Alexis. He’s not your personal chef.” David crosses his arms. “Can’t you see we’re talking?”

“It’s okay, David.” Patrick leans forward, putting his hand on David’s arm. “Neither of us have eaten yet. How do pancakes sound?”

“Delicious.” David relaxes his arms, leaning into Patrick’s touch. “Thank you.”

Patrick shrugs off his thanks. “Go have your talk with Gwen. If she tries to share her music again, tell her you have breakfast waiting for you and that you promised to help me change my shirt.” At Alexis’ snicker, he corrects himself. “Pick a new shirt.”

Alexis allows David to leave the room giving him a look as he exits, but she blocks Patrick in the doorway.

“I need to get to the kitchen if you want me to make breakfast.”

“In a minute.” She stares at him questioningly. “What was that?” She asks, putting emphasis on each word with her fingers. 

“What was what?” Patrick asks, not wanting to let on what they were talking about. He wants to keep her around for David, but that doesn’t mean he trusts her completely like he does David.

“I’ve never seen anyone calm David down that quickly. And that includes his ex Ellie who used to carry Xanax in a tic tac container for when he got to be _too_ David.”

Patrick glances nervously at the camera closest to them, not happy with Alexis freely sharing part of David’s past in front of them. “I’m glad I could do that for him,” he says honestly. “And there’s no way he could ever be too much of himself.”

“You’re such a cute button,” Alexis decides, booping him on the nose. “Be good to him or else you’ll have to deal with me.”

“Uh, thanks. Do you want those eggs now?” Patrick motions behind her.

“Yes, button!” she moves out of his way. “Maybe don’t tell David we had this talk, though. He’ll get all weird. And I really don’t want him to yell at me for threatening his boyfriend.” 

She rushes ahead of him before he has a chance to correct her. “I’m not his boyfriend,” he says quietly to himself, unhappiness settling inside him.

*

Later that day as the houseguests sit outside on the sofa, Jake puts the golden Power of Veto around his neck. He makes his way through the house and to the backdoor. He slides it open, stepping halfway out to look at his housemates. “It’s time for the Power of Veto ceremony,” He informs them all.

He heads back inside as the others all stand to follow him in and to the living room. Once everyone is there, he and Bob sit in the chopping block chairs as the others sit on the two sofas. Jake stands and addresses the house, “This is the Power of Veto ceremony. Bob and I have been nominated for eviction but I have won the power to veto one of Gwen’s nominees.” He looks at Bob. “Sorry Bobby, I have to use the Power of Veto to save myself.”

Jake squeezes Bob shoulder who looks up at him and says, “I completely understand.”

“Gwen, now that I have vetoed one of your nominations you will now have to name a replacement nominee.” Jake moves to sit on the sofa, Twyla moving over to let him sit next to her. 

Gwen stands at the head of the room and faces the other houseguests. “My replacement nominee is Rachel,” She says, indicating to the nomination chair that is empty for her to sit in now. Rachel looks shocked as she stands and sits in the chair next to Bob. “Rachel, you are just a pawn. Bob is my target here,” He tells her with a wink and a smile. 

Jake stands to go next to the veto box and says, “This veto meeting is adjourned,” before he closes the lid of the box. 

All of the houseguests stand, moving around to hug each other. Rachel can feel the tears so she makes her way through towards her bedroom. She hugged enough people, she wants to get to an empty space and _think_ for a minute. 

Rachel closes the door behind her and mutters, “What just happened?” 

How the hell did she just become the pawn? And how the _hell_ could Gwen nominate her without even preparing her first? “This sucks,” She groans, flopping onto her bed. 

She hears the door opening and moves her head to the side to see who it is. She sees Twyla coming in and coming to sit on the bed next to her defeated body. “Did you know she was going to nominate you?” Twyla asks her.

“No!” Rachel exclaims, sitting up. “She could have said something so I wasn’t so blindsided!”

“Agreed.”

“She probably just didn’t want me to try and convince her not to use me as the pawn,” Rachel thinks aloud. “I would have thrown someone else out there for sure.”

Twyla smirks. “Like who?”

Rachel shrugs. “I don’t care, anyone. I don’t have anyone in this game.”

“You have me,” Twyla says with a small, comforting smile.

Rachel softens. “I know, I didn’t mean -” she sighs. “I just feel alone. You’re close to other people and I just haven’t really connected much with anyone.”

Twyla’s sad for her, she likes Rachel. She doesn’t want to see her upset like this. “Put yourself out there more. You’re a fun, sweet girl. You just need to tell us all more about you,” She tells her. That’s all it’s really about. This game is sort of like a social experiment too. You’re living with other people and need to make social and personal connections to people to enhance your chances at getting far and winning this game. Rachel just needs to try harder.

“I’m glad you came in here,” Rachel tells Twyla, taking her hand and squeezing it.

*

Later that night, David decides to turn in and heads to the washroom to do his skin care regime and get ready for bed. He's pleasantly surprised to see Patrick in there doing the same thing. His heart speeds up a bit when he realizes they're the only ones in the room. He quickly clears his throat and smiles at Patrick before unzipping his toiletries bag and placing all of his bottles and jars on the counter before him.

“Wow, that is a lot of product.”

David smirks. “It's a nine step program that I do twice a day, it’s not a big deal.”

Patrick smiles at him, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Well, whatever it is, it must be working because I barely see any wrinkles at all.”

David frowns and quickly turns to the mirror, leaning in to examine his face more closely, not caring that there are cameras looking back at them through the mirror. He hadn’t noticed any wrinkles this morning, though he did notice a little dry patch under his left eye. “What? Where? I paid a small fortune for the anti-wrinkle serum -”

Patrick quickly reaches out a hand, placing it softly on David’s arm, “David, I was just joking. You’re that stressed about your birthday tomorrow?”

“How did you know that?” He looks at him quizzically.

Patrick looks quilty. “Alexis has been telling everyone,” He confesses.

“Ugh, that little -” He groans. 

Patrick chuckles. “So how old are we?” He asks with a wide smile that drops when he sees the look David is giving him. He clears his throat. “Yeah, so I mean, I don’t really know anything about skin care. I just use Irish Spring to wash my face while I’m in the shower but I mean as far as skin goes, yours seems pretty perfect,” He says, going back to their previous conversation. 

David purses his lips and looks down, blushing slightly at the compliment, ignoring that clear switch in the conversation. “Thank you, Patrick. Good skin care is very important, which is why it is rather annoying that you can have skin that nice while only using a drug store bar soap.”

“Oh no, David, it’s body wash, not bar soap. I have _some_ standards. I also use Aveeno lotion on my dry spots.”

David shakes his head. “Unbelievable.”

Patrick chuckles. He uses his hand to indicate all the jars on the counter, “Maybe you should show me what you do, then I can learn what I should be doing.”

“Well, I don’t usually let people watch me but I guess I can make an exception this one time, in the name of proper skin care.”

David reaches for the first bottle, “Now this is a cleanser…”

Forty minutes later, David is starting to regret agreeing to let Patrick watch him. He hadn’t realized Patrick would stare so intently at him with his too loud whiskey colored eyes. His heart is racing, his hands feel a little shaky, and he definitely needs a steady hand to apply the eucalyptus under eye serum. He considers just skipping the step but the dry spot under his eye is screaming at him and he can't ignore it so he takes a deep breath and hopes his hands will cooperate with him. 

He quickly looks at Patrick and holds up the small jar, “This requires a very steady hand.” He tries to open the jar but his hands betray him and he can't get the tiny lid off. He watches as Patrick steps closer, putting his hand on his arm, which doesn't help the situation at all.

“Are you okay?” he asks, concern in his voice.

David nods, “I guess I'm just more tired than I thought.” Or the fact that he’s been staring at David for the past forty minutes and complimenting him. 

Patrick reaches for the small jar, quickly opening it, “I can help if you want? I wouldn’t want you to poke your eye out.”

A million thoughts run through David’s head, but in the end, the temptation to feel Patrick’s fingers on his face is too much and he quickly nods. “A little goes a long way, and make sure you rub it in very well otherwise it won’t do what it’s supposed to do,” He instructs him.

Patrick nods. He indicates to the sofa behind them, “Do you want to sit then I can come at it from the right angle?”

David nods and they both move to the sofa. David sits down and Patrick steps between his legs. David wills his body to not react to this development, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Patrick, unaware of what is going through David’s mind, puts a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry David, you can trust me.” 

He dabs a little of the cream onto his finger and applies it under his eye, using his thumb to gently rub it in. David watches him, his eyes glancing down to Patrick’s mouth where his full lips are pressed together as he gently works the cream into his skin. He quickly looks elsewhere, the last thing he should be doing is looking at Patrick’s very kissable lips. It wouldn’t take much to lean in and press his lips there, they look soft - probably some dollar brand chapstick. 

Patrick’s voice brings him out of his fantasy, “Remind me what this is again?”

David looks back up at him and smiles. “That is an eucalyptus under eye serum.”

Patrick nods and continues to rub it in, his touch feather light on David’s skin. David locks eyes with Patrick and he can't help but smile as he sees Patrick’s eyes quickly dart down to David’s lips, it's very brief and maybe he's mistaken but the air seems to shift and crackle as the energy changes. Patrick quickly glances back up at David’s eyes and he once again has the urge to lean up and press their lips together. Before he can though, Patrick quickly clears his throat and steps back, closing the jar and handing it to David.

“I think that should be good. Hopefully I did it properly, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for any improper skin care.”

David shakes his head and stands up, already missing the closeness. “That would definitely be incorrect.” There’s a pause where neither of them says anything and neither of them move. Not being able to handle much more David says softly, “Thank you, Patrick.”

Patrick smiles, “You’re welcome, anytime.” 

David notices him glancing down at his lips again and he seems to lean in slightly but before David can really react, someone clearing their throat breaks the moment. They both turn to see Rachel standing there. She glances between them, a frown on her face.

Patrick speaks first, “Rachel, what’s going on?”

David watches as she tucks her hair behind her ear, looking unsure. “I was looking for you. I was hoping we could talk?”

Patrick nods and glances at David, “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

David nods and watches as the two of them leave the bathroom. He shakes his head, he had probably imagined whatever almost happened anyway, it was obvious that Patrick and Rachel had unfinished business. He walks back to the counter and quickly packs up his skin care and walks out of the washroom.

*

Patrick follows Rachel out into the living area but a few houseguests are sitting on the couches and he really doesn't want to have this conversation with others around. He leads the way towards the kitchen and glances quickly outside. He notices that it’s empty so he reaches for Rachel’s hand, pulling her to the door and outside. He drops her hand to slide the door shut behind them. He walks over to the sofa, sitting next to her but leaving plenty of space between them. “What did you want to talk about Rachel? Is this about your nomination? That wasn't my idea, I hope you know that.”

"Oh I know,” She dismisses. “I don't like being nominated but I know Bob is going home this week."

Patrick nods, "Yeah, Gwen definitely wants him out."

She seems to hesitate before speaking but takes a deep breath, seeming to fortify herself. “What’s going on with you and David?”

Patrick looks at her sharply, of anything she could have asked, this is the most unexpected, “What? Nothing, what do you mean? We’re friends.”

Rachel looks at him unsure, “You looked pretty cozy in the washroom. What did I interrupt?”

Patrick tries to gather his thoughts, the truth was that what had happened in the washroom had seemed pretty intimate and for a moment Patrick had wondered what it would have been like to lean down and press his lips to David's, but it was just in the moment and Patrick had probably imagined David glancing at his lips anyway. Rachel’s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

“Patrick? Is there something you want to tell me?”

Patrick shakes his head, he doesn’t know what to make of these feelings himself, how is he supposed to tell Rachel about them? “I know you didn’t ask to speak to me privately to talk about David, so what did you want to talk about?”

“It’s just that we have hardly talked since we’ve been here and I miss you.”

Patrick shakes his head, “Rachel, you know I care about you, but the truth is I came here to get space away from you to try and figure things out, and when you agreed to come into this house, that was taken away from me. I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

“Right for who?” 

“For both of us, you know we weren’t working Rachel. We were fighting all the time, I was sleeping more on the couch then in our bed. It just wasn’t working.”

“Patrick, that’s why I said yes to this, back home there were always distractions, but here there isn’t any place for us to run away too. We can sit and talk and work things out.”

Patrick just shakes his head, and stands up. “Not this time!” He takes a deep breath, he doesn’t want to lose his temper, it wouldn’t do either of them any good if this turns into yet another shouting match. He turns and looks at her, talking more gently, “Rachel, a part of me will always love you, but we won’t be getting back together this time. I know we haven’t been here long and I don’t really know how to explain it but I feel different here. I see things more clearly and the truth is, I can’t love you the way you deserve to be loved. I’m sorry but that’s just how it is.”

He turns away from her and leaves, going back into the house, leaving Rachel to sit alone on the couch.

*

Patrick slides open his bedroom door, seeing David sitting up in his bed. “Hey,” He says softly, closing the door behind him. He’s glad to already be in his pajamas to just slide into the bed next to Davids. 

“Hi. You okay?” David asks, turning slightly to face Patrick in the opposite bed.

“Mhm, she was trying to make _us_ work again,” He shakes his head. “I don’t know how many times or different ways I can tell her that I don’t want to be with her - I _can’t_ be with her.”

David’s face falls. He feels bad for both of them. Patrick because Rachel won’t let him go but also for Rachel who just loves this man so much and spent the best parts of her life with someone who doesn’t want her back - doesn’t love her back. She must be hurting badly. 

“I know it’s hard for you to have to live with your ex and constantly tell her that you can’t be with her but you need to look at her side of everything.” Patrick looks at him intently so he continues, “She spent the best parts of her life with you - being your girlfriend, falling in love with you, going out, staying in, _everything_ was done with you and if it wasn’t, she was thinking of you. I know you said you two didn’t work and broke up a lot but her love for you can’t just switch off. It’ll take her some time but she’ll eventually see that she’s better off without you. She’s better off without someone who won’t love her the way she loves them.”

Patrick’s got the softest smile and most tender eyes and David just feels like melting under his gaze. “That was really sweet, David. And I get where you’re coming from. I’ve been so in my head for so long that I forget she doesn’t feel what I’m feeling or seeing what I’m seeing. I’m not gonna be so hard on her and hope that eventually her feelings for me will fade away. Thank you.”

David shrugs. “Anytime.” 

Patrick wants to ask him about his past relationships and to know more about his experiences. He must have a lot to speak with such emotion like that. It felt like he’s been in Rachel’s spot before and he just wishes he knew so he could be a sort of comfort for David. The thought of anyone hurting David’s feelings or making him feel the way he described Rachel must be feeling puts this deep, aching sense of dread inside of him. 

He doesn’t get a chance to ask when Alexis and Ted make their way into the bedroom with flirty little smiles towards each other and Alexis giggling. “Oh sorry, did we interrupt?” Ted asks, noticing the mood of the room.

“Nope, was just going to bed,” David tells them. “Goodnight.” They all say goodnight back and he gives Patrick a soft smile before getting cozy in his bed. 

Patrick settles into his own bed, wishing he could connect more with David and vowing to make that happen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's David's birthday so Big Brother throws them a party with pizza, cake, liquor, and karaoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is a fun chapter, we hope you like it 💕

DAY 13 

Patrick wakes up the next morning to the sound of someone getting out of their bed. He smiles to himself, recognizing David's voice as he whispers a curse when he stubs his foot.

Patrick rolls over and faces the now empty bed, assuming David needs to use the washroom and will be back soon. When he doesn't return after a few moments, Patrick gets up to look for him. David doesn't usually wake up before production's wake-up call and he never wakes up before the rest of the house.

When he doesn't find David in the house, he opens the door outside and scans the backyard. He almost closes the door to look inside the house again when he sees the hammock swing slightly. As he moves closer, he sees David laying out on the hammock, staring up.

"Hey, happy birthday!" Patrick says, sitting down on the ground next to the hammock. "What are you doing up so early?"

David sits up, putting his hand out to pull Patrick up. "C'mon, don't sit on the ground."

"Thanks." Patrick takes David's hand, frowning when he lets go. He brushes off his pants before sitting down next to David. "Couldn't sleep? Is everything okay?"

"Here's a question," David says, ignoring Patrick's for his own. "Has your family ever forgotten your birthday?"

"That would be a no," Patrick says slowly. "No, we've always had some kind of party. In fact, sometimes two parties - one before school ended with my friends and then another with family and with my cousins who were kinda more like siblings." The look on David's face tells Patrick that wasn't the right answer. "But they, uh, forgot other things."

"Sure." David doesn't elaborate.

"So that question about my family forgetting…" Patrick prompts. “I told you Alexis told the whole house.”

“They usually forget.” David shrugs. “I figured coming into the house that I'd be celebrating alone. I wasn’t expecting Alexis and I definitely wasn’t expecting her to remember."

“She started telling us about a joint birthday party you and Lindsay Lohan had once.” Patrick nudges him with his shoulder playfully. “Well, she started to, but she said she couldn’t give any details because of the NDA. Sounded pretty wild. Doesn’t sound like your birthday is easy for her to forget.”

David groans, frustrated. "That hasn’t stopped her from forgetting before! Or any of them. My family has gotten closer since we lost all of our money. It’s unavoidable when you’re forced to spend so much time together for the first time in years. But it’s hard to forget how things were before," David says, his hands waving around to emphasize his point.

Patrick catches one of David's hands in his and brings it down to his lap, interlacing their fingers. "Well, even if she did forget or wasn’t in the house, you wouldn't have had to celebrate alone. I'm here."

"Hm, but can you top my usual plans of popping a pill, crying a bit, and falling asleep early?"

“Well, for starters, I could make you a special breakfast? People have been raving about how moderately edible my food is.”

“You don't have to do that.” David shakes his head.

“I'd like to,” Patrick says, reluctantly letting go of David's hand as he stands up. “How about you go get ready for the morning and I'll start on breakfast?”

“Okay, but maybe don't start right away because I'm definitely not skipping part of my skin routine today of all days.”

Patrick grins. “We can't have that,” he teases as they enter the house together before parting ways, Patrick to the kitchen and David heading towards the bedrooms.

David enters the bedroom and sees Stevie laying on his bed, the other beds empty. 

“What are you doing on my bed?”

She smirks up at him. “I was looking for you to wish you a happy birthday but decided to wait when I saw you and Patrick being all cozy.”

David rolls his eyes but the blush on his ears gives him away. “We weren't being cozy, we were just talking.”

Stevie tilts her head and gives him a look. 

David throws up his hands, clearly flustered. “What are you looking at?”

Stevie just smiles and says, “I like this for you.”

“Like what? There's nothing to like. We are just in a friendly alliance.”

“That’s one way to say you are attracted to him.”

David interrupts her, “Okay maybe there is a slight possible attraction but I don't even know his preferences so…”

“Well you won't ever know his preferences if you stay in here talking to me.”

David rolls his eyes and tries to change the conversation. “Patrick is making breakfast for my birthday, do you want to come?”

Stevie shakes her head. “I'm not third wheeling your breakfast date with Patrick.”

David shakes his head and flaps his hands around. “No, no, no. It's definitely not a date. He’s just being nice, and you're coming.” He grabs her hand and drags her out of the bedroom.

Meanwhile, Patrick is in the kitchen putting together the ingredients for blueberry pancakes. He adds the eggs and milk to the pancake mix, his mind going a million miles a minute as he tries to work up the courage to ask David an important question.

He realizes now that he is attracted to David and despite the strange situation they are in, he's never felt like this before. He knows it might be hard to really get to know him better in the house with eyes and ears and literal cameras everywhere, but he also knows he wants to see where this can go. He wants to ask David to have dinner with him after the show ends but actually verbalizing the words scares the hell out of him. But they don't allow pens or paper in the house so writing him a note won't work either.

He finishes mixing the batter and grabs the blueberries to add in but just before he throws them in, an idea forms in his head. He smiles to himself and reaches for the griddle pan.

Patrick sets up a little table outside, away from the other house guests. He’s just turning to go grab the food when he sees David come outside. He starts to smile but then he notices Stevie following close behind. He quickly turns back to the table to gather his thoughts and then plasters what he hopes is a friendly smile on his face. “Hey, guys.”

David smiles but also looks a bit uncertain. “Hi, I invited Stevie, is that okay?”

Patrick just nods. "The more the merrier. Let me just go grab the food."

David watches as he hurries off, a frown on his face. He turns to Stevie who is shaking her head. “I tried to tell you-"

“What? No it's not like that, it's fine. He was just surprised.”

“All I know is if this breakfast is at all sentimental then he thinks this is a date.”

David glances into the kitchen where Patrick is putting food onto a tray. Is this a date, he wonders? And more importantly, is that what he wants?

*

Patrick puts the food on a tray, glancing at the pancakes. He thinks about throwing them out and making new ones but that will take too long. He will just make sure he gets the plate he intended to give to David. It's obvious now that David isn't interested in him in a romantic way considering he asked Stevie to join them. He frowns, he had thought they were connecting but of course, he misread the signals. He was crazy to think someone as amazing as David would ever be interested in him. He picks up the tray and carries it outside.

He smiles as he gets to the table, “Sorry Stevie, if I'd known you were coming. I would have made more, so hopefully there's enough.”

Stevie stands up and reaches for the tray, “You cooked everything, at least let me help you serve everything.” She glances down at the tray and what she sees makes her smile. “Actually, you know what, I forgot I'm supposed to have breakfast with Jake. So I'm just gonna take some bacon and go.” She grabs the bacon and turns to leave but not before giving David a thumbs up behind Patrick’s back. 

David watches her go before looking at Patrick. He looks nervous and David wonders what is going on and what made Stevie leave. He sees Patrick wipe his palms on his pants before reaching for the food on his tray, he places the plates on the table and sits down across from David. He wants to ask what's going on but the smell of breakfast makes his stomach growl so the need to eat wins out… for now. 

He shakes out a napkin and places it on his lap and reaches for the syrup. He looks up in surprise when Patrick’s hand reaches out to stop him. Patrick is biting his lip, then gives a quick nod before picking up his plate.

“I accidentally gave you my plate.” He quickly switches the plates. 

David looks down, wondering what is going on. His gaze lands on his plate where six small pancakes and some bacon is laid out. He looks more closely at the food and notices something spelled out with the blueberries and meat. He looks up at Patrick. “Dinner AS?”

Patrick takes a deep breath and looks at David, his eyes open and soft. He nods before speaking. “I would like to get to know you outside the house, David. I'm hoping you'll agree to go out to dinner with me after the show ends.”

David smiles shyly, his lips pressed to one side. “I must say this is a very unique way to ask someone out.”

Patrick smiles. “It's nothing.”

David shakes his head. “This is not nothing, so thank you.”

Patrick smiles softly. “You're welcome, David.”

David picks up his fork but before he starts eating he glances up and smiles brightly at Patrick. “Dinner after this ends sounds nice.”

Patrick smiles broadly, “I'll check my schedule and get back to you.”

David just shakes his head and stuffs a piece of bacon in his mouth.

They're just finishing up their breakfast when Alexis walks outside, Stevie following closely behind her. "See!" she says, tossing her hair in Stevie's face. "I told you they'd be done by now."

“Actually -”

“- I planned a spa day for us!” Alexis cuts David off. "I found mom's hidden face mask stash before I left."

David looks at Patrick, torn between continuing their breakfast date and spending some time with his sister.

"It's okay," Patrick says, smiling. "Sounds like fun."

"Yay!" Alexis claps, excited. "You don't mind doing those dishes, right, button?" She grabs David's arm and pulls him into the house, not waiting for Patrick's reply.

"Sorry," Stevie apologizes. "I tried to hold her off as long as possible."

"It's okay." Patrick shrugs, picking up the plates. As much as he wants to be selfish and keep David to himself, he knows how im "It'll be good for them to spend some time together."

Stevie studies him. "You're good for him," she says finally.

"He's good for me, too," he replies easily.

"Gross," Stevie says, pretending to gag. "I'll help you with the dishes if you promise you and David aren't going to start being all disgusting with each other."

"Deal."

*

Later that evening, Alexis is told to head to the storage room so she makes her way there. Inside, she sees many boxes of pizza, a cake with candles on it, and booze - a lot of it. She claps her hands together and notices a note. She picks it up and reads it. 

_Alexis, since today is David’s birthday, please bring the cake out to him and enjoy a fun birthday party on us. Have-nots can also enjoy this treat._

“Thank you, Big Brother,” she says after reading the note. She also finds a karaoke machine under the counter with a small binder on top of it, likely the book of songs. “Oh my God, David is going to _freak_!”

Alexis needs some help so she pokes her head out the door and sees Stevie making her way by. “Stevie!” she calls out.

Stevie turns to see Alexis looking out the storage room waving her over. Intrigued, she goes over to her only to be yanked inside the room. “What the-” she starts to say when she notices all the goodies in the room. “Oh my God.”

“I know, right? David’s gonna freak. Big Brother is throwing him a birthday party- this is like his dream. Help me bring the cake out?”

“Wait, let me go make sure everyone gets together for this.” Stevie leaves the room and tells whoever she can find to gather everyone together in the kitchen. 

She sees everyone making their way to the kitchen so she heads back to the storage room to help Alexis. 

Alexis lights the candles and picks up the cake. Stevie holds the door open for her and slowly, they make their way to the kitchen and towards David who looks surprised. “Happy birthday to you,” Alexis and Stevie start singing with everyone else also joining in. 

“Happy birthday dear David, happy birthday to you!” they all finish before clapping. The cake is deposited in front of David where he looks at everyone, smiling and thanking them before looking at the cake before him. He makes a wish and blows out the candles and a chorus of clapping begins. 

“Thank you, Big Brother!” David calls out, completely in awe of his life right now. Patrick’s sitting next to him, grinning at him and he couldn’t be happier than he is at this moment.

“That’s not all, you guys,” Alexis announces. She takes Stevie and beckons Patrick with her and the three of them disappear.

Everyone stays in the kitchen awaiting their return and when they do, Patrick’s carrying a few pizza boxes and Stevie and Alexis have booze. “Oh my God,” David says, practically jumping out of his seat. 

“Have-nots, you may also enjoy the treats here for us today,” Alexis informs the four have-nots who all hoot and holler, excited to eat pizza and cake and drink some alcohol.

“There is also a karaoke machine in the living room,” Patrick tells them.

David gasps. This is going to be the best birthday ever.

*

The houseguests eat their pizza and drink their beer or wine all together around the kitchen table. Once everyone is stuffed, they decide to make the most of this party and head to the living room to start up the karaoke machine, bringing their filled cups of liquid courage with them.

David hasn’t had enough booze to perform first so he lets whoever wants to go first. 

Jocelyn, Twyla, Ronnie, and Gwen get up there and perform ‘Precious Love’ and they sound amazing together, all of their different tones and sounds harmonizing so beautifully together. Everyone is enchanted by them as they sit on the sofas watching. 

David watches different people perform either solo or in duos or bigger groups. This is the most fun he’s had on his birthday in a _really_ long time. Almost every guy in the house is up there singing ‘I want it that way’ like they are serenading him and it’s the most hilarious thing to ever happen.

“Oh my God,” he says as Ted gets down on his knees to really belt it out, making everyone else laugh and cheer him on. Alexis is grinning like a schoolgirl and honestly, he couldn’t be happier that she’s found someone who can make her this happy by being _such_ a dork.

The song ends and everyone stands to cheer for them. “That was great,” David tells them. He’s had a few more drinks and now feels good to perform so he goes up there to sing his Mariah Carey pick for the night. 

*

Patrick’s a little breathless after singing the Backstreet Boys with the other guys in the house. He passes by David, giving him a wink as he heads up to perform finally. Patrick takes a seat next to Stevie and watches as David sings his heart out to his favorite artist. Seeing him give his all - knowing the lyrics by heart, singing with gusto even if he doesn’t have perfect pitch, and just completely and freely enjoying himself - Patrick’s falling that much more for David Rose. He never thought that the reason he and Rachel could never work is because he’s not interested romantically and sexually to women. Meeting David and spending time with him, he sees that he’s gay and that’s why things just never worked for him and Rachel. 

He thought coming into the Big Brother house that he would learn some new things about himself but he didn’t think it would be to this level. Patrick’s never felt so _free_ and now more than ever he wants to show David how much he truly means to him.

David’s song comes to an end and everyone cheers for him. “I need another drink,” he announces to the room before making his way to the kitchen.

Patrick finishes the little bit of his beer as he also heads to the kitchen. He’s sad and kind of annoyed to see that David isn’t alone, Jake is also refilling his drink. 

“Great song, David,” he hears Jake tell David when he approaches.

“Thanks, Mariah is my favorite.” David smiles at Patrick when he joins him on his other side. David passes him another beer and Patrick says, “Thanks. Yeah, the song choice was great. Your voice was-”

Before he could finish David interrupts with a groan. “Ugh, I know, I am definitely not a singer.”

“I was gonna say you did pretty well considering you’re not a singer,” Patrick tells him, knocking his shoulder into his.

*

David smiles at Patrick before taking a sip of his wine. He finds himself staring too hard so he nods his head towards the living room. “We should rejoin the party since it is for me,” he tells them. Patrick chuckles before he and Jake follow him back to the living room. 

They rejoin the others and have to sit and listen to Alexis butcher Alanis Morissette. Even though Alexis had her own reality show for a season and sang her own theme song, it does not make her a talented singer. She sounds like a dying cat.

Finally she finishes and Patrick’s standing. He touches David’s shoulder so he looks up at him just in time to see him giving him the softest smile. His whiskey colored eyes melting him from the inside. Patrick makes his way to the karaoke machine and the familiar tune of one of his absolute favorite songs begins.

 _“_ _I call you when I need you, my heart's on fire,”_ Patrick sings the first line, his eyes on him. David feels heat coursing through his body as Patrick’s shockingly _perfect_ voice sings to him. David bites the inside of his lip to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. 

_“You're simply the best, better than all the rest_

_Better than anyone, anyone I ever met_

_I'm stuck on your heart, I hang on every word you say_

_Tear us apart, baby, I would rather be dead._ ”

David’s never had someone serenade him before. At least, he assumes this is for him. He’s singing a song David has told him is perfect and beautiful because of the lyrics and Patrick told him he’s heard him hum to this song. Who else would this be for?

That thought makes him look to Rachel who’s sitting in one of the nomination chairs with the biggest heart eyes he’s ever seen. He wants to gag at the sight and instead turns his attention back to Patrick whose eyes seemed to have never left him.

“ _Each time you leave me I start losing control_

_You're walking away with my heart and my soul_

_I can feel you even when I'm alone_

_Oh, baby, don't let go,”_ Patrick sings so passionately that David gets this deep pull inside of him. His heart feels like it’s beating out of his chest and he’s just so _hot_. His crush on Patrick is soaring higher than ever right now and he doesn’t know what to do.

The song ends and everyone is standing and cheering for him. Patrick is blushing as he makes his way back to sit next to David. “Um, excuse me Mr. I have an angelic singing voice,” he teases him, smirk in place.

Patrick laughs. “Angelic huh?” 

David rolls his eyes. “Shut up,” he says, knocking his shoulder into his, just to feel him close.

Patrick laughs and _God_ , does he love that sound and seeing that smile. 

He doesn’t get to say much else because Rachel is coming to sit on Patrick’s other side. “That was beautiful, Patrick.”

“Thanks, Rachel,” he tells her with a polite smile, definitely different than the one he just gave him. 

“Do you think we could talk in private?” 

Patrick looks at her confused. “What for?”

Rachel gives him a flirty look and David thinks he’s going to be sick. “Excuse me,” he says as he stands, not even sure why he even says it. David heads to the kitchen to pour himself a little more wine, whatever was left in the bottle he was drinking from before sliding the backdoor open and closing it behind him, feeling that fresh air hit his overheated skin. 

He sighs as he sits down in the corner of the sofa. He’s alone for not even half a minute before he sees the door slide open and Patrick stepping out. 

David can’t help but feel good that Patrick left Rachel’s clear advances to come find him. “Oh hi,” he tells him when Patrick comes to sit next to him.

Patrick smiles at him softly. “Hi. I’m sorry about Rachel.”

“Hmm? You don’t need to apologize to me about your ex-girlfriend clearly hitting on you,” David tells him before taking another sip of his wine. He’s definitely tipsy and getting a little annoyed at this whole situation between Rachel and Patrick. He likes Patrick but can’t tell him that or can he? No, he can’t or else he’ll make a fool out of himself. Or will he? Yes, he will because Patrick isn’t interested in him. But is he though? David’s mind feels like it’s spinning out of control. 

Patrick sighs. “I know, it’s just -” he starts to say but cuts himself off. He’s looking at David with those soft eyes that make David want to melt down to the core.

David notices Patrick’s gaze drift to his eyes before looking into his eyes again. David knows it’s the liquor encouraging him but the way Patrick’s looking at him has him leaning forward and pressing his lips to Patrick’s.

He holds the side of his face as he kisses him and feels Patrick reciprocating, his hand even moving to rest on David’s knee. David pulls back from the kiss reluctantly, he would love to keep doing this but they are still living with a lot of other people who could easily target them if they saw them. He looks at Patrick and sees him smile softly, his eyes looking like they’re in a daze.

David clears his throat and twists his mouth to the side as he watches Patrick recuperate before turning his attention to him. He smiles softly and says, “Thank you.”

David shakes his head. “For what?”

“Um, I’ve never done that before. With a guy,” Patrick tells him honestly, nodding his head. He looks nervous, shy even.

“I figured as much,” David teases, trying to lighten the mood.

Patrick lets out a breath like a small chuckle escaping him. “Right, still - um, I was worried that I’d never gather enough courage to do that so thank you for making that happen for us.” Patrick looks at him with his loud eyes, begging to just be kissed again, or maybe that’s David’s wish. All he knows is that his crush for Patrick is not just a crush. He likes him a lot like _a lot_ that it could be getting too close to - he doesn’t even want to think the word.

“Well, fortunately, I am a very generous person,” he teases, making Patrick chuckle. David grins, not able to hold it back any longer.

Patrick looks back before meeting David’s eye and saying, “We’re still alone.”

“Mm, sort of.” David points to a camera he sees pointed at them.

“Right.” Patrick’s eyes drift to his lips again before meeting his eye.

“But I mean, if you wanted to kiss me again I’d be open to entertaining that thought, you know, give the people what they want,” David teases, smirk in place.

Patrick smiles. “Actually I think it was _you_ who kissed _me_ but we gotta do what we gotta do,” he says as he leans forward to press his lips to David’s in the sweetest, most delicious kiss. David can’t help but moan into the kiss, his hand going back to his face and behind to his neck to slide his fingers up into his short hair.

Patrick pulls back, his eyes a bit darker than before, now filled with lust. “We should go inside before we look too suspicious.”

“You’re right but I wish we didn’t have to,” David whines. 

Now that he can, he asks to make sure, “That song was for me, right?” 

Patrick looks confused. “Of course it was,” he says with a slight shake of his head. 

David hides his surely too big smile behind his cup as he takes a sip.

They collect themselves before heading inside. Stevie and Jake are in the kitchen at the island where they made that into the bar for the night. 

“There you are!” Stevie slurs, arms raising above her heads. Jake yanks her drink out of her hand before it can go up too high and potentially spill everywhere. “Hey,” she gives Jake the stink eye, taking her drink back before looking at David again. “What were you two doing?” She wags her finger between them with a glint in her eye.

“Needed some air,” David tells her.

Patrick shrugs. “We were just chatting.”

Stevie’s about to say something but Rachel walks in the room and spots Patrick. She comes to him, only stopping when she’s right in front of him. “Can we please talk? Two minutes,” she begs.

David holds back his eye roll and just takes Stevie’s arm. “Come on Stevie, let’s go sing.”

“No, no, no,” she tries to protest but doesn’t have enough strength to stop him. “ _I_ _told you_ , I am not singing.”

“Sing with me so I don’t think about what _they’re_ talking about right now,” David whispers to her as he drags her back to the living room.

Stevie catches on. “Gotcha. What are we singing?”

“Destiny’s Child, obviously.” Stevie plops down on the sofa and David announces to the room, “Stevie and I are next!”

*

Patrick watches as David drags Stevie off to the living room and sighs. Looking to Rachel he says, “Fine.”

She walks past him so he follows her into the room off the washroom where they’ve had all their talks here so far. When the door is closed, she smiles at him, walking towards him into his space. 

“What are you doing?” he asks her, stepping around her to put more space between them.

Rachel’s confused, “I thought the song - you weren’t trying to tell me something?”

Patrick sighs, _how could she have gotten this so wrong?_ He shakes his head. “No, it wasn’t. We’ve had this conversation a few times already, Rachel. I’m not getting back together with you. We are not right together, I know this to be completely and one hundred percent true. I’m sorry but we can’t keep having this same talk. You deserve more than this - I can’t give you what you deserve.”

“But you -” she stops mid-thought before another forms, “What’s going on with you and David? When he left you went after him and just left me there.”

“You need to stop asking me about David. We’re just friendly - this is a game we’re playing,” he tells her, trying to throw her off their scent. He doesn’t need her to figure out he has a final two with David, let alone that they like each other and could possibly become a showmance - he doesn’t need that target that it would surely bring. 

It still isn’t adding up for her. She shakes her head. Patrick sighs, “Rachel, you’re a little tipsy. Let’s just rejoin the party and enjoy the night, okay?”

She nods, she is pretty drunk actually but she knows she needs to let it go. For now anyway. “Fine,” she tells him. They leave the room but instead of going to the living room, Rachel walks by and to the Diary Room. She buzzes to be let in and waits ten seconds before being let in.

Rachel throws herself onto the love-seat in front of the camera and sighs. “I can’t believe he still thinks we’re not getting back together. You can’t just throw love like ours away!” She flings her arm as she speaks.

The producer asks her about David. Rachel groans, “Ugh, listen, I don’t trust David as far as I can throw him and I definitely wouldn’t even be able to pick him up.” She giggles then groans again. “I think David and Patrick are in an alliance. Possibly with Stevie too and maybe Jake. But definitely David and Patrick are together. David’s a threat in this game. He's smart and sociable, and frankly, I don’t like how much of Patrick’s time he’s taking.” She shrugs. "I'm going to survive this eviction and win the next HoH. I need to get David out of this game."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will be evicted from the Big Brother house, Bob or Rachel? And a new Head of Household is crowned.  
> Showmances are brewing in the Big Brother house and an ex is getting suspicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Today's been crazy busy, sorry for the delay but here it is in it's over 6k words.   
> We hope you enjoy!! 💖

DAY 15

“Good evening, I’m Moira Rose. Last we left off, Gwen won the Head of Household competition and nominated her ex-husband and main target, Bob, and pawn Jake. Jake won the Power of Veto competition and saved himself from the chopping block. Gwen nominated quiet Rachel in his place, knowing that nobody would want her out. The live vote and eviction are coming up,” Moira informs the world and live audience watching her. “But first, showmances are brewing and an ex starts to get jealous.” 

The show cuts to what the audience missed in the last couple of days - David’s birthday party and he and Patrick having their first kiss, Rachel getting jealous and asking Patrick what’s going on, and her diary room session.

Inside of the house, it’s eviction day and Rachel spent most of it making sure she has everyone’s votes. She feels secure that Bob is Gwen’s target but she doesn’t want the house to flip and actually vote her out. Rachel doesn’t really have many allies. She can count on Twyla - they’ve gotten very close and she doesn’t think Twyla would fuck her over. Patrick told her that he wouldn’t ever nominate her or vote her out so that’s someone else she can trust in the game. Other than that, she doesn’t have anyone that she trusts one hundred percent. This game is harder than she anticipated. She expected Patrick to get back together with her and they could work closely in this but he’s completely cut her off and spends most of his time with David. Okay, he spends time with everyone but she sees that David gets most of his time and attention. With this next HoH competition coming up after the vote, she really hopes to win it so she can make a move and get him out. If she doesn’t win, she hopes it’s someone who she can convince to possibly target him. She needs to avoid eviction first.

*

“You look nice,” David tells Stevie when he walks into her bedroom. She’s in there alone, having just finished getting dressed in some nice black pants and a black tank top with a blazer on top. Her hair is slicked back into a fashion pony and David can’t help but want to tell her that he approves.

Stevie shimmies her shoulders slightly. “Damn right I do.”

David chuckles as he lounges on her bed. He’s wearing a pair of black pants with the extra fabric piece on top and a black and white checkered sweater. “Is it wrong that I want to evict Rachel today?” he snickers.

“Let’s just do it.” Stevie smirks.

David laughs. “I really want to. She’s like _actively_ fucking with me I think. All day yesterday she was, like, _around_. I think she knows - um, that we’re working together.”

Stevie scoffs. “I don’t think so.”

“I don’t know…” David trails off. 

“I’ll vote her out, I don’t even care. She’s annoying to share a room with.”

“Hey, you moved from the best room, that’s on you.” He laughs when Stevie flips him off, before tilting his head to the side in thought. “Besides how annoying she’s been, she’s a bigger threat than Bob, anyway. He’s not going to win any competitions and he’s definitely not winning a social game following Gwen around.”

“True,” Stevie nods. “Gwen has the votes to send Bob home, but there’s no reason we can’t send a message about Rachel. If you wanna do it just signal to me with like a little nod or something and we’ll vote her ass out.”

David laughs, clapping his hands together. “Deal.”

*

“Welcome back, it’s time for the live vote and eviction. Let’s check in with the houseguests,” Moira says when they come back from break. The cameras pan to inside the house where everyone’s sitting, gathered in the living room. “Good evening, houseguests.” Everyone waves to her, greeting her. “How is everyone holding up this week? Jocelyn let’s start with you. How was going from HoH to Have-Not?”

Mostly everyone laughs, Jocelyn laughing herself. “Well, Moira, it wasn’t very fun, I will say that but I am glad that it’s over.”

“Jake, how does it feel to win the Power of Veto and save yourself from the chopping block?” Moira asks next.

Jake sits up more, crossing his leg over the other. He looks at Moira and says, “It felt pretty good, Moira. I did what I had to do.”

“That you did!” she tells him before switching to why she’s there. “Before we get to the live vote and eviction, Bob and Rachel, you both have thirty seconds to plead your case to your houseguests. Rachel, you’re up first.”

Rachel stands and rattles off a quick, “Miss and love you to my family. Houseguests,” she looks to her fellow houseguests, “I am not ready to leave just yet. I hope that you see me as an asset and not a threat that needs to be taken out. I am genuinely enjoying getting to know you all and I hope that you are too, at least enough to keep me.” She giggles. “Anyway, I respect your decision either way. Thank you.”

“Bob, you’re up next,” Moira tells him once Rachel is seated.

Like Rachel, Bob stands and addresses his fellow houseguests. “This feels like deja vu,” he starts with making some people giggle. “I know I’m the target so I’d like to just tell you, Gwen, that I am sorry and I hope you can make it far in this game without me here. Houseguests, this has been so much fun. If you choose to keep me, I’d greatly appreciate it but it is what it is. Thank you.”

“Thank you both,” Moira tells them when Bob sits. “One at a time you will each go into the diary room and cast your vote to evict. The two nominees will not vote, and Gwen, as this week’s HoH, you may only vote if there is a tie. Patrick, you’re up first, please head to the diary room.”

Moira turns her attention to the audience and camera as Patrick stands and makes his way as directed. “Patrick has promised Rachel that he would never vote her out, but will his new showmance make him break his promise to her tonight?” she says before turning her attention back to the screen where Patrick is now sitting in the diary room. “Hello, Patrick.”

“Hi,” he says in a soft tone. 

“Please cast your vote to evict.”

“I vote to evict Bob,” Patrick tells her, looking off to the side. 

“Thank you,” she dismisses him. 

The next few houseguests come in and out of the diary room as they all cast their votes to evict. Moira comes back from a commercial break in the middle saying, “The vote right now is five to evict Bob and none for Rachel. David is up next and he jokingly said to Stevie for them to evict Rachel. Will he follow through on that comment or will he vote with the house?” She turns to David’s screen and says, “Hello, David.”

David rolls his eyes. “Hello, mother.”

Moira smiles. “Please cast your vote to evict.”

“I vote to evict Rachel,” he says with a small shrug. “Oops.” 

“Thank you,” Moira tells him. He smiles as he gets up and leaves the diary room. 

Stevie passes him and he nods at her. She laughs as she enters the diary room, sitting on the blue chair. “Hello, Stevie.”

“Hi,” Stevie composes herself. Moira asks her to cast her vote so she says, “I vote to evict Rachel.”

The rest of the houseguests vote to evict. “It’s official. With eight votes to evict, Bob will be leaving the house. Let’s tell the houseguests.” Moira addresses them all, “Houseguests, the votes are in. When I reveal the vote, he or she has thirty seconds to say goodbye, gather their belongings, and walk out the front door. With a vote of eight to four, Bob you have been evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Bob smiles, nodding, knowing. He stands, hugging everyone apart from Gwen. He leaves the house and goes over to Moira who shakes his hand and indicates for him to sit in the tall chair opposite him. “Hello, Bob.”

“Hi,” he says with a small laugh. “It’s nice to meet you. Big fan.”

“Oh, aren’t you sweet. So, eight to four, are you surprised by that vote?” 

“Actually, yeah. I thought I’d have more against me,” he laughs. 

“Who do you think voted to keep you?” Moira asks him.

“Ray for sure,” Bob tells her. “Um, Jake? I don’t know.”

“Yes to both of those. As well as David and Stevie,” she informs him. 

Bob contemplates that. “Huh,” is all he says. 

“Since you were the one evicted tonight, your houseguests taped some goodbye messages for you, take a look over here and listen,” Moira points to the big screen behind her shoulder. 

*

Inside of the house, the remaining houseguests apart from Gwen are asked to change into the outfits provided to them in the storage room. Once they’re dressed and ready, Big Brother allows them access to go outside where they see the yard set up for the HoH competition and from the looks of it is their first endurance competition.

Everyone is told to stand up on the small platforms on the giant wall. Moira’s voice comes into the yard as everyone is now settled atop this wall. “Houseguests, it’s time for this week’s HoH competition. As outgoing HoH, Gwen you will not compete. The rest of you will face off to win power and safety for the week. This competition is called ‘The Wall’ and here’s how it works, each of you must stay on the wall for as long as possible, while facing obstacles along the way. Once you fall off the wall, you are eliminated from the competition. The last houseguest standing will become the new Head of Household. Does everybody understand?”

“Yes!” the houseguests call out. 

“Then let the competition begin,” Moira tells them. The wall moves slightly, bringing it up more. The houseguests hold onto the wall behind them, trying no to fall instantly. There are some small fixtures into the wall behind them like small aids to stay upright, but not by much.

Moira tells them goodnight and they are left alone to compete for power.

*

“Tune in Sunday night to find out who will win the HoH competition and who they will nominate for eviction. On Wednesday night, the Power of Veto will be played and possibly used on one of the two nominees. And one week from tonight, another live eviction and Head of Household competition. Let’s listen in on the HoH competition that could go on all night. From outside the Big Brother house, I’m Moira Rose. Goodnight.”

The camera pans back into the house where the competition is happening.

About thirty minutes to an hour in, Mutt, David, Ray, and Jake fall from the wall. The obstacles that Moira warned them about start to happen. The wall tilts forward, they later get blasted with cold water, the platform under them starts to move, and at one point they get hit with large objects.

It’s a tough competition and not many are lasting long. It’s a couple hours in and there are still Ted, Alexis, Rachel, Twyla, and Miguel up on the wall. The others all watch from the sidelines, the ones who dropped all wrapped in towels from where they got drenched in ice cold water. 

“You got this guys! Good job!” Jocelyn cheers them on and every so often someone else yells out an encouraging chant for the remaining players.

Ted is waiting for Miguel to drop. He doesn’t want him to get HoH. Ted wants to win this. He needs him out of this game. He’s been trying to ignore him but living in the same house proves hard to do. Also, he’s not too fond of how the game is going so far. Klair then Bob being evicted, these aren’t players that _need_ to be taken out right away. He also doesn’t trust Twyla or Rachel to do anything significant. He wouldn’t mind Alexis winning but she told him that she doesn’t plan to win many competitions just yet, not wanting to look like a threat.

Twenty minutes later after about five minutes of a downpour, Rachel drops then Miguel seconds later as he trips when he tries to adjust himself - the platform too soaked. “ _Fuck_ ,” he curses as his body hits the foam sponge mat below them. 

Ted tries not to grin too hard as the one person he truly wanted out of this competition is. “Ted, Alexis, and Twyla, one of you will be the next HoH,” Gwen announces. 

Alexis is on the platform next to Ted’s and she whispers to him, “Do you have this or can I drop?”

“Wait ’til she drops,” he whispers back. 

Alexis nods and looks down at the mat. She didn’t want to stay in the competition this long but as people dropped the more she felt like she wanted to prove that this is something she could absolutely win. She knows Ted really wants the win so she won’t drop until Twyla is out. Alexis trusts Twyla if she were to win but she won’t just drop knowing that her alliance member and let’s face it, crush, Ted wants her to stay in it for now. 

Twyla is struggling, she doesn’t want to drop for the Jazzagals but her arms and legs are giving out. She looks over to them and asks, “How are you guys doing?”

“Good,” Ted calls back.

“Solid. You, babe?” Alexis asks.

“Shaky, not doing too well honestly,” Twyla tells them. She’s _literally_ shaking as she is freezing from the ice cold water that keeps getting poured on them. 

“Drop, you’re safe. I give you my word,” Ted tells her. “You too, Alexis,” he adds in to show that he isn’t just wanting Twyla out but that he wants to win this.

“You swear?” Twyla asks, knowing she should try to stick it out for the gals but knowing she can’t and not wanting to pass up getting guaranteed safety from Ted.

“I swear on my life, we're _cooool_.” 

Alexis giggles at his pun, making Ted grin. Twyla takes that deal and drops off the wall followed by Alexis ten seconds later, after smiling slyly at Ted.

“Congratulations, Ted! You are the new Head of Household!” Gwen calls out as Ted jumps off the wall and into the mat right near Alexis who’s still on it. They hug before getting helped out of the mat and being wrapped in towels. Gwen adds the HoH key around his neck and tells him congratulations again. 

Even though Ted feels completely drained from apparently being up there for four hours, he also feels pumped. As they make their way inside, one by one people are called to the DR. Ted is last, going inside and telling them how excited he is to win and see pictures from home and get his letter that will probably be from his mom and how much he can’t wait to get rid of Miguel.

*

“Hey, Twy, do you have a sec?” Rachel asks Twyla, catching the other woman as she comes out from her turn in the diary room.

“Sure!” Twyla replies brightly. “Congrats on staying.”

“Thanks.” Rachel leads her into the storage room. “I’m a little worried about the votes, though. I had four votes to evict me! I thought everyone wanted Bob gone.”

“I know Ray and Bob were friendly. I wouldn’t take it personally,” Twyla tries to reassure her.

“That’s only one vote, though.” Rachel sighs dramatically. “I think David has it out for me. I’m pretty sure he wants to work with Patrick and feels threatened by me.”

“I thought you said Patrick told you that the two of you are over? Did something change?” Twyla asks, confused. “Why would David feel threatened by you?”

Rachel knows her friend means it innocently, but the reminder that there isn’t a reason for David to be jealous of her stings. “It’s far from the first time Patrick has told me we’re over. And even if we definitely were over romantically, we’re still friends. I know I have Patrick’s loyalty,” she says confidently. There’s no way Patrick is going to choose someone he’s only known for two weeks over her. “He’ll vote how I want him to vote.”

Twyla shrugs. “If you say so,” she says, filing away the conversation to tell the rest of the Jazzagals later. “I wouldn’t worry about the votes. It wasn’t close.”

Frowning, Rachel nods. “Sure.” This isn’t the reaction she was hoping to get. If she wants to get David out of the house, she’s going to need to come up with a good strategy. “Thanks, Twyla,” she says, hoping the other woman believes she’s sincere.  
“Any time!”

The door opens, putting an end to their conversation. Patrick enters, followed by David, both of them looking between Rachel and Twyla.

“I’m starving,” David says, when no one makes a move. “Patrick’s going to look at what’s in here—” he waves his hand around, “—and see what he can make. Something great so whoever is going to be have-nots gets one last really good meal.”

“That’s so sweet!” Twyla gushes. “I wouldn’t mind being a have-not again, though. I’ve been thinking of new slop smoothie recipes.”

“As good as that sounds,” David says, forcing a smile. “Patrick and I are going to plan dinner now. So…” he trails off.

Twyla gets David’s hint and leaves the room but Rachel stays behind. “I can help you, Patty. We used to cook together all the time.”

“Rachel.” Patrick sighs. “I need space. How many times do we have to have this conversation?”

“We’re living in the same house! It’s impossible for you to have any more space.”

David steps away from the arguing exes, pretending to compare the bottled waters on the counter. He has to bite his tongue not to bring up how Rachel has barely given them a chance to be alone since his birthday.

“You can start by being in a different room,” Patrick cries out, frustrated. 

The door slams closed as Rachel leaves without saying anything.

“Sorry about that,” Patrick apologizes with a sigh.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” David assures him.

“I shouldn’t have gotten so mad,” Patrick folds his arms against his chest. “It’s just that every time we’ve tried to connect since your birthday, she’s been there.”

A smile envelops David’s face at Patrick’s confession that he’s been just as desperate for alone time as David has been. “I feel the same way.”

“Really?” Patrick’s smile matches David’s. “I’m really relieved to hear that.”

“There’s something I should probably tell you, though.” David crosses his fingers that Stevie won’t be upset about him sharing without talking to her first. “Stevie and I voted Rachel out.”

“Okay.” Patrick clears his throat nervously. “But you know I don’t want to actively try to get her out, right? I don’t think it’d be fair to her.”

“I know.” David smiles at him reassuringly. One of the many things David likes about Patrick is what a good person he is, even if that means he won’t be any help getting Rachel out of the house. “I was just really frustrated with how she’s been acting with us, and Bob wasn’t even a threat.”

“You don’t have to explain your reasons, David. I trust you.”

“Oh. I trust you, too,” David replies, surprised at how easily he’s able to say it. “What if Rachel tries to come after our alliance?”

“Then I’ll protect what’s most important.” When he sees the unease on David’s face, Patrick waves a hand between the two of them. “You. Us.”

“Thank you,” David says softly. “I’m not used to being put first.”

“That’s a crime.” At the sight of David’s grin, Patrick starts to tease him. “Hey, thanks for committing me to dinner. Or should I say feast?”

“Okay, well it was either that or I announced to Twyla and your ex that we needed privacy to make out.”

“Oh, is that what we’re going to do?”

“Well, I was hoping,” David says, flustered. “But if you don’t want to, we don’t have to.” 

“I definitely want to.” Patrick grins and puts a hand out to David, pulling him closer to the door. “No one else is coming in and interrupting us,” he says, looking at David’s lips before leaning in for a kiss.

*

Later on, after the meal Patrick made for most of the house, Rachel finally finds him _alone_ in his bedroom. "Patrick, can we talk for a minute?"

Patrick looks up from going through his clothes and sighs. "Rachel, I don't really know what's left to say. We can't keep having the same conversation over and over. Nothing has changed."

Rachel refuses to believe him, but she decides not to push it for now. Instead she brings up the earlier eviction. "Not that. I was surprised to hear that I got four votes against me. Do you have any idea who voted for me to leave?"

Patrick shakes his head. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that I voted for Bob."

Rachel nods. "I know you’d never vote to evict me, Patty, but do you think David would?"

"Why would you think he voted for you?"

"Maybe he sees me as a threat?"

Patrick just laughs. "You're hardly a threat, Rachel."

"You two seem awfully close, maybe he wants me out of the way."

Patrick sighs. “Rachel, you’re seeing problems where there aren't any. Now if you'll excuse me, I need some air.”

Rachel watches as he leaves the room. She knows there is something going on with David and Patrick and she’s determined to find out what it is.

*

David is walking through the living room towards the kitchen. He slides the glass door open and sees Patrick on the left, sitting on the sofa overlooking the yard. He seems lost in thought. Jake, Mutt, and Twyla are outside too, at the pool table, but it’s far enough away that they won't be able to hear them talking so David walks over to Patrick to see what's up.

He sits down and knocks his shoulder into Patrick. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Patrick looks over at him and offers a small smile. “I'll tell you for free.”

He looks around making sure no one can hear them, he seems satisfied so he leans over to get a little closer. David definitely doesn't mind that.

"Rachel found me in our bedroom and asked me if you voted for her?" 

David’s eyes widen slightly. "What? Why would she think that?"

"She thinks you see her as a threat."

"I mean, she isn't wrong.” David frowns. “I don't see her as a threat in the traditional sense, but I do know she thinks we’re working together. I also know she still thinks you’re getting back together and if she ever found out what's really going on between us then she wouldn't hesitate to try and separate us."

Patrick sighs in frustration. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell her that it's over between us. I know I shouldn't blame her for not getting it, I mean we've broken up and gotten back together so many times. This time it's different, though, and I’ve told her that.” 

David looks at him unsure. He wants to believe things are different this time, but he's been here before and he likes Patrick so much, probably more than he should. He doesn't want to get his heart broken. 

"No regrets then?"

Patrick shakes his head. "What? No, why would I have regrets?"

"I don't know? I think it's just a habit to ask."

"The only thing I regret is that this started in here and I can't kiss you right now." 

David blushes. He looks around to make sure no one is watching them, and without looking at Patrick he reaches out his pinky to link with Patrick’s. They sit there for a few minutes just enjoying each other's company, until David breaks the silence. "What would you do with the money if you win?"

Patrick shrugs. "Honestly I haven't really thought about it that much. I mean, I'd definitely pay off my school loans. Maybe buy a new car. And I'd definitely invest some of it. What about you?"

David knows exactly what he'd do with the money. It's something he's thought about a lot lately, once he realized they'd be in Schitt’s Creek for the foreseeable future. He's never told anyone else about it though, but he feels safe sharing his dream with Patrick so he does.

"I have this idea for a store, a general but also very specific store. I want to connect with local vendors and sell their products under one brand which is my brand."

"What kinds of products?"

"Things like lotions and candles, wine and coffee, maybe some knits like scarves and sweaters. Perhaps even fresh foods like cheese and baked goods." 

He’s really given this some thought and that makes Patrick smile. "David, that sounds like a great idea. I hope you win so your dream can come true."

David smiles at him and curls his pinky tighter around Patrick’s. They stay that way until David’s belly rumbles, laughing they get up and head inside to find something to snack on.

DAY 16

David opens his eyes slowly, oh so slowly, as he wakes for the day. He expects to be the only one in the room — everyone’s always up before him, but this morning is different. 

Patrick is sitting up in his bed next to David’s and he smiles over at him. “Mornin’ sleepyhead.”

David groans as he snuggles into his comforter, not quite ready to wake up but knowing he should or Big Brother won’t stop playing that music. “Morning,” he says in his deep morning voice. He notices Patrick’s gaze drift down slightly to his lips and he can’t help but smirk at him. “Come here,” he mumbles.

Patrick grins and immediately gets out of his bed. David moves over so Patrick could sit on his bed, on top of the comforter, next to him. He places his arm over him, it laying gently on his back as he looks down at him with the fondest eyes and the softest smile. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Patrick says back before leaning down and kissing him on the head.

“That was cute but I was thinking a little lower,” David teases as he lifts his head higher out of the comforter, leaning up on his elbow so his face is within inches of Patrick’s. 

“Huh? Something like this?” Patrick kisses David’s cheek making him smile. 

David rolls his eyes when their eyes meet. “Almost got it.” 

Patrick stops his teasing knowing they probably don’t have much more time alone before someone will wonder where they are and possibly come look for them. With one last flickering look, Patrick closes the distance between them, kissing him softly on the lips. David smiles into it, bringing his hand up to cup Patrick’s cheek. He kisses him more firmly, deepening the kiss as his fingers move to the back of his neck. Patrick’s hand on his back is pulling him closer to him as he kisses him back with that matching need. David playfully bites Patrick’s lower lip as he pulls away from the kiss with a small smirk. 

Patrick exhales a small laugh as he runs his free hand over his short hair on his head, the one on David’s back still there, pressing into him. He turns his eyes back on David and says, “I wish we could spend all morning doing this but I should probably —”

“— Mhm, yeah, I need to pee anyway.” David shoos him, making Patrick burst out laughing. Patrick gets out of the bed and when they’re both standing, takes David into his arms and kisses him softly on the lips once, twice, before reluctantly letting him go. Spotting something out of the corner of his eye, he turns to find one of the cameras following David’s path out of the room. He’s surprised at how easily it is to forget the cameras they have on them, especially when he’s alone with David. 

*

After breakfast, the houseguests are laying around the house when Ted calls out, “Everybody, please gather in the living room!”

The players all seated in the living room with Ted at the front of the room, facing them all. “Houseguests, there will be no have-not competition this week. But don’t get too excited, there will still be four have-nots this week.” The house groans before Ted continues, “The first four players who dropped in the HoH competition will be the have-nots for the week.”

“No no no no,” David mutters to himself. 

Ted is saying the players names, “Mutt, David, Ray, and Jake,” while David curses softly, “ _Fuck_.”

Mutt stands, pissed off to be a have-not again. It was absolute torture the first time, he doesn’t want to go through it again. He was mad enough to have dropped first in that competition, slipping at the first sign of ice cold water, and now he’s on slop. _Perfect_. 

“Sorry, Mutt,” Ted pats his shoulder as he passes him. He nods at him as he continues on towards the kitchen, heading back outside to get his frustrations out by working out.

*

“This _sucks_ ,” David groans to Patrick and Stevie where they sit in the shade on the sofa. Jake’s also there, lying down with his head in Stevie’s lap. Patrick’s glad to see it’s not in David’s lap again. “I don’t know how I’ll survive the week.”

“I got you, don’t worry,” Jake speaks, turning his head to look up at him. “We’ll get through it together.”

 _Right_ , Jake is also a have-not, _fucking perfect._ Patrick is not happy about having to wake up and not see David in the bed next to him but now he realizes Jake _will be_. This isn't good. He trusts that David likes him enough to kiss him and flirt with him but they’ve only known each other a couple weeks and only _just_ kissed for the first time three days ago. He doesn’t trust Jake. Jake is flirty and confident. Patrick doesn’t like when that attention is on David. He’s jealous but he feels like he has no right to be. He can’t help it. It’s until he feels David’s finger slyly and slowly graze his knuckles that he starts to relax. Patrick catches his eye and smiles sweetly when he sees the smile on David’s face that he’s trying to hide. 

“That’s true,” David says, turning his eyes back to Jake. “Just so not ready for all of this. Slop, like it looks _vile_. I have to eat that all week?” He fake gags.

“I’m sure Twyla will make you some slop smoothies,” Stevie teases.

“Fuck off,” he says, using his foot to kick her softly, making her laugh.

*

Ted is relaxing on the bed in his HOH room when there's a knock on the door.

"It's open!" He smiles when he sees that it’s Alexis. He missed seeing her last night. "Hey, Alexis!"

Alexis smiles and walks over to sit on the corner of the bed. "Heyyyyy. I thought I'd see how you're doing in here all by yourself."

"It's good, I'm good. I have to say though, it was kind of weird sleeping by myself. You get used to all the noises people make."

Alexis nods, "Totally. I don't know how I'm going to sleep without David’s sleep mumbling about Ebay sales and Givenchy sweaters."

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Ted wants to ask Alexis to stay with him tonight. He really likes her and he wants to get to know her better. He thinks she likes him too but he doesn't want to assume anything. 

"Hey, Alexis —"

"So I was, um —"

They look at each other and start laughing. Ted raises his hand, "You go first."

Alexis nods, "It's just that um, I kind of missed sharing a room with you last night? So, I was wondering if I could maybe stay in here with you tonight?"

Ted smiles at her. "I'd really like that."

Alexis smiles back and boops him on the nose, "Promise you won't talk in your sleep?"

"I wouldn’t dream of it."

*

Later that night, everyone is lounging about in different rooms, possibly just chatting, possibly gaming, but in one room there’s David and he does _not_ feel good. David’s lying on his bed— his old bed since he’s now a have-not— holding his stomach, hating his life. The slop is not sitting with him well and he feels like _death._

The door to the room opens and in comes Alexis and Patrick. “What’s going on?” Patrick asks, going over to sit on his bed next to David’s, elbows on his knees as he looks David over.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Alexis asks, standing by Patrick’s bed.

“Can I help you with something?” he snaps at Alexis.

“Ugh, David, I was just coming to get a few things. What are you even doing?” 

“I’ll be fine, it’s just the slop not agreeing with me, _of course_ ,” David groans.

Patrick feels awful for David. He doesn’t want to see him suffer especially for the next week. He has an idea, he touches David’s shoulder and squeezes it. “Hey, what if we try some recipes with it? Make it taste good, maybe you’ll feel better not eating it like that.”

David looks at him with fond eyes. _He is so sweet_. “I don’t think I can eat more of that tonight.”

Patrick chuckles. David’s so cute even when he feels ill. He wants to just hold him in his arms and make him feel better. “Not tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll make you something good with it. If it sucks and you still feel awful maybe speak with Big Brother,” he offers.

David nods his head. “Thank you,” he says softly. Alexis has come and gone, neither really noticing. David sits up and sighs. “I’m going to miss this bed,” he pats the covers on either side of him as he looks around the room.

“Gonna miss seeing you in it,” Patrick says softly, causing David’s eyes to lock with his.

David smiles softly as he looks into Patrick’s beautiful hazel eyes, they just look so _loud_. He sits forward, leg pressed against Patrick’s, he leans forward and presses his lips to his in a soft kiss. “Walk me to my shitty room?” he asks with a frown.

Patrick chuckles. “Of course. Hey, if you have trouble sleeping, come wake me up. We can stay up together.”

“I’m not going to ask you to take care of me,” David says, even though it does sound nice.

“You’re not asking. I’m offering,” Patrick rebuts. “I want you to be comfortable.”

David agrees to wake him up if necessary, but he knows he won’t. There’s no reason for the both of them to be sleep-deprived. And there’s probably nothing that could put an end to whatever they’re starting faster than what the slop is currently doing inside his body.

*

Alexis sees that Patrick’s more worried about David than she is so she grabs what she came for and leaves, letting them have their time alone. Most people have gone to their rooms and the rest seem to be outside. Ted told her he was going up to his room for the night so she waited before going to grab some things. 

Alexis changed in the bathroom and washed her face, putting her things away— David and Patrick now out of the room— before making her way up the black, spiral staircase. She opens the door to the HoH room. Satisfied that no one knows she’s up here, she lets the door close behind her as she smiles at Ted. He’s in a white t-shirt and grey plaid pajama bottoms, standing in the room, seemingly having wandered out from the washroom.

“Hey,” she says softly.

Ted smiles at her, “Hi.” She’s so beautiful, he’s not exactly sure what to do next. “Thanks for deciding to stay here tonight. I’m glad you didn’t have to _sleep on it._ ”

“You’re so funny!” Alexis giggles as she gets into the bed.

“Wait, your laughs have been real?” Ted asks, surprised that someone like Alexis actually likes his jokes.

“Of course!” she replies. “Most of them, definitely.” She settles in beside him. “Do you know who you’re going to nominate tomorrow? It’s such a big decision.”

“I’m not a hundred percent sure yet. I know I want Miguel out, but I still need to figure out the best move to make that happen.”

“You should ask David! He’s a super fan. I bet he’ll be able to help you come up with a plan.” Alexis bites her lips. “Oops, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to say that. That makes him sound like a threat, doesn’t it?”

Ted shrugs. “Not for me. I would never go after your brother. And even if he wasn’t your brother, it sounds like he’d be a useful ally.”

“You’ll have to talk to him about that. I don’t want to talk game tonight.” Alexis boops him on the nose. “I’m sure you can think of something better, can’t you?”

Laughing nervously, Ted puts an arm around Alexis’ shoulders. He gets braver when she cuddles into his side. “I’m really glad you came on the show.”

“Me, too. I wasn’t expecting to have so much fun.” She looks at him, smiling. “Or to meet someone like you.”

“I never could’ve imagined you. You’re too good to be true.”

“Aw, Ted! Aren’t you just the sweetest.” She shimmies her shoulders playfully, moving closer to him.

Ted closes the distance between them, brushing his lips against hers all too briefly. When he starts to move away, Alexis pulls him back in for a deeper kiss. They only pull apart when they need to catch their breath.

“You really took my breath away!” Ted says, grinning.

“Okay, cute,” Alexis says, “But I really want to do some more of that. So maybe we save all jokes until the end?”

Ted nods, leaning in to kiss her again, all thoughts of tomorrow’s nominations forgotten. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will Ted nominate for eviction? Who will win the Power of Veto and will it be used?  
> Alliances are forming and the showmances are getting closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is the longest chapter yet, over 7k. There is a lot of game in this chapter, some canon moments, and all around so much fun. We hope you enjoy it! 💖

DAY 17

Being HoH is a lot of fun for Ted. He didn’t expect it to be - he thought that it would be stressful and that he’d be nervous on what he needs to do and who to put up and what if the house is mad at his nominations. However, he’s finding that he ultimately doesn’t care. He wants people to be happy with his nominations but he came into this game to win half a million dollars to help his business and that’s what he’s going to do. 

Ted’s known since he saw Miguel in this house that he needed to get him out. These past three weeks playing the game he’s starting to understand it better and realize that there are ways to get him out without actually nominating him right away. Talking with David has been really helpful. Alexis mentioned the night before that her brother is a superfan and though she said not to tell anyone, he needed to talk to David himself. 

“Hi,” he says when he walks into the HoH room. 

Ted waves him in, “Come in, have a seat.”

David nods as he makes his way to the small table to sit, stealing a licorice from the clear jar on the table that was part of Ted’s goodie basket. “What’s up?”

“So first off, I just want to tell you that you’re good with me. I have absolutely no intentions of coming after you in this game,” Ted informs him.

David’s nodding, he has a small smile on his face. “Thank you, I appreciate that, and likewise. Alexis really likes you so you’re definitely not someone I need to target.”

“That’s great.” Ted grins. “The reason I wanted to talk to you is because Alexis did mention that you are a superfan.” David’s face falls so he rushes to say, “Don’t worry, I won’t be telling anyone. I wanted to pick your brain a bit though.”

“Okay… like what?”

“My target is Miguel. I need him out of this game,” Ted tells him. “I’m trying to figure out the best way to do that. I know that I could just nominate him-”

“Absolutely not,” David interjects. “Miguel hasn’t won anything but he hasn’t needed to. It doesn’t mean he _can’t_ win. If you nominate him and he wins the veto then you missed your shot and he will be gunning for you. If you really want him out then you need to backdoor him.”

Ted nods along. “Okay, that’s what I was thinking but then who do I even nominate? I don’t have problems really with anyone right now.”

David sees the perfect opportunity to push his own plans for this game. “I have a suggestion if you’d like it.”

“Please, yeah that’d be great.”

Ted’s sitting on the edge of his bed, near where David is sitting. David’s leaning back in his chair and says, “You could nominate Jake and Rachel.”

“Huh,” Ted says, his mind working it over.

“Jake is strong, he would be a good pawn for you to put up to possibly ensure he wins and uses the veto on himself which gives you the free reign to nominate Miguel. Rachel isn’t going to win, she’s the perfect pawn. She’s likeable and quiet, and if Jake wins veto and she’s up against Miguel, she will without a doubt stay over him,” David explains.

“David, you’re a genius,” Ted says before laughing. “Seriously, I’m so happy we’re working together in this game.”

“Me too, we could have a solid alliance to run the game,” David says. Having Ted in his corner is not a bad thing. Ted is very likeable, his social game is amazing so far and now he’s won HoH from an endurance competition so you know he can win so he’s also physically threatening. 

“What if we get a thing going?” Ted suggests, needing more people to have his back since he won’t be able to play HoH next week.

“Who are you thinking?”

“Well, us, Alexis, and I see you’re pretty close to Patrick. I think he’s great so maybe us four? We could really get things going in this game,” Ted tells him.

David nods along. “I agree. At some point today or even late tonight the four of us should have a chat but I’ll mention it to Patrick and maybe bring it up to Alexis if you talk to her.”

Ted reaches his hand out to smack against David’s. “This is exciting.”

*

After speaking with David, Ted feels even better about nominations later today. He needs to speak to the two people he has decided on nominating but first, he wants to speak to his number one in this house. 

But before Ted can find Alexis, Miguel corners him outside of the HoH room. "Hey, do you have a minute? I know you're probably going to nominate me, but maybe we could work something out?"

Ted puts up a hand to stop Miguel. "You can hit _paws_ on the speech. I already know who I'm nominating. It's not you."

"Wow, really?" Miguel asks, visibly relieved. "Thanks, man. I knew you wouldn't let anything from outside the house affect your game. It'd be silly to try to get rid of me because of your jealousy."

"Jealousy?" 

Miguel nods along, oblivious. "I'm sure your business will get a boost from being on the show. I've already started planning some new ads."

Ted frowns, imagining how Miguel plans to up his previous shirtless ads.

"Thanks for having my back!" Miguel pats him on the shoulder before heading downstairs. 

"He really is as dumb as he looks in those pictures," Ted mutters to himself, shaking his head.

He finds Alexis sunbathing in a leopard print bikini and he needs to stop and take a deep breath before approaching her further. Thankfully she’s alone so he sits on the grass next to her where she is lying on her stomach, tanning her backside. “Don’t you look _purrr-fect_ ,” Ted says but shakes his head a bit, knowing that was a corny one.

Alexis giggles though as she turns her head to look at him. “You’re so cute.”

Ted blushes. “So I wanted to talk to you,” he lounges back on his elbows, overlooking the yard to make sure they do have some privacy for this. “I spoke with David and he was very helpful.”

“Oh, goodie.”

Ted smiles. “So what do you think of having a side alliance with him and Patrick? Just to give us some more coverage in the house. Obviously, you and David already have each other's backs, and he and Patrick are close so it just feels perfect.”

“One hundred percent,” Alexis says. “David’s really smart and Patrick looks like he can win some comps. I’m down for this.”

Ted smiles at her. “I have my nominees, I need to talk to them both though before nominations to let them know they’re not the targets.”

“Who’d you finally land on?”

Ted whispers, “Jake and Rachel. Hopefully Jake or myself can win the veto and I can backdoor Miguel.”

Alexis nods. “Totally.”

Ted leaves her to continue sunbathing. He needs to find Jake and Rachel so he can talk to them both separately about putting them up on the block.

*

Patrick’s helping David make something good with the slop so he doesn’t suffer anymore like he did yesterday. Well, it’s more like Patrick is making him something and David sits at the island watching him and making soft gooey eyes at him. Patrick loves it though. He’ll gladly cook for David all day every day if it meant he would watch him like that. 

Patrick’s making him - David’s not really sure what, but he trusts Patrick. Twyla had walked by before offering to make him one of her slop smoothies but he denied. Alexis told him how disgusting they are and he already has an upset stomach, thanks so much. 

“So…” David trails off, looking around the kitchen. Patrick leans forward on the island from where he’s making the food, waiting for David to tell him what he needs to. There’s no one else around so David continues, “I had a very good talk with Ted earlier. He wants to work with us. So it would be me, you, Ted, and Alexis.”

“I’m down for that. I like Ted and your sister has a great social game. I think it could be really beneficial for us,” Patrick tells him.

“This has to stay between us, obviously our three with Stevie is ahead of this but I don’t want her to feel bad for not being included,” David says.

“Agreed.” Patrick continues cooking and after a few moments asks, “So did he say who he’s nominating?”

“I think I convinced him to nominate Jake and Rachel,” David whispers. “He wants Miguel out though as a backdoor.”

“Well if it stays the same our opportunity to get Jake out is handed to us.”

David nods. “Correct.”

*

“Hey bud,” Ted says when Jake enters the HoH room. 

“How’s it going?” Jake asks, a smile on his face as he takes a seat on the sofa.

Ted’s sitting on the edge of his bed. “I gotta talk to you about noms.”

“You’re putting me up?” Jake asks right away. He’s had this conversation before - last week actually, with Gwen.

“Yes but because I need you to help me fight in this veto to win it. I want Miguel out,” Ted informs him. “Keep that between us, the less people who know about it the better. Also I don’t want him catching on.”

Jake nods, “Okay and what if I can’t win the veto.”

“If I win, I will use it on you. I don’t want you to go. I think you’re a good player and a solid dude. We could work really well in this game together.”

“Who’s going up beside me?” Jake asks, that makes all the difference.

“I haven’t spoken to her yet but I’m planning to nominate Rachel.” Jake nods, seeming okay with that choice. “Rachel’s a great girl but she’s a floater and an easy pawn. I don’t think she’ll win the veto. You or I need to win it and you’ll be coming off the block.”

“You promise you’ll use it on me if you win it?” 

“You have my word, I will use the veto on you if I win,” Ted tells him, hand to his heart. 

Jake sighs. “Then okay you can use me as a pawn or whatever. I don’t like it but I trust you, man.”

Ted grins. “I swear to you, you are not going home this week.”

They both stand and hug it out before Jake leaves the room. 

One down, one more to go.

*

“What do you think Ted’s gonna do this week?” Jocelyn asks her gals as they lounge outside in the shade on the sofa.

“He’s such a nice guy, I really don’t know,” Twyla says, pushing her sunglasses up on her head.

“Doesn’t he have a rivalry with Miguel?” Ronnie asks. 

“Mhm,” Jocelyn hums. “But do you think he’ll nominate him or try to backdoor him?”

“Well, I just saw Jake coming down from the HoH room,” Gwen comments. “He might be using him like I did so he might try for a backdoor.”

They see Jake making his way outside and over to Rachel who’s in the pool with Alexis. He speaks to her before going back inside. Rachel gets out of the pool, taking her towel and wrapping it around her waist. She slips her feet back into her sandals and makes her way inside.

The Jazzagals just watch this unfold, piecing it all together.

*

Rachel makes her way up to the HoH room. Jake came outside to tell her that when she has a moment Ted would like to talk to her. She’s barely spoken any words to Ted in this game and the few times they have spoken it wasn’t game related. She has a feeling she’s going up on the block but she’s hoping that there are bigger targets for him to go after.

She knocks before being told to come in. “Hey, Jake mentioned you wanted to chat.”

“Hey, Rachel. Yes, come on in.” Ted waits until Rachel is sitting on one of the chairs. He’s still sitting on his bed. Once she’s seated he says, “Let me first say that I have nothing against you and I definitely do not want you to leave this week.”

“Okay…”

“With that being said, I do need to nominate you today. I have a plan in place and that entails you going up as a pawn. I promise you that you will not be leaving on my HoH,” Ted tells her.

“I mean, I don’t love the thought of being a pawn again. Is there no one else you can use?” Rachel asks, trying all she can to stop this from happening.

“I don’t really see another way,” Ted tells her honestly.

Seeing an opportunity, she says, "What about David? He would make a great pawn." She watches him closely for a reaction, knowing he's close to David's sister. "Everyone loves him," she adds, trying to sound neutral. "No one would vote him out."

Ted smiles reassuringly. "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. People will vote to keep you in."

Rachel’s pissed but she’s glad he told her about it first, unlike Gwen. “I’m glad you’re giving me a heads up.”

“I’m really sorry, Rachel. You have my word that you are not my target and you will not be leaving this week,” Ted reassures her.

“Okay, it is what it is,” Rachel says with a sigh before standing. She says goodbye before heading back downstairs. She requests to be let into the diary room, needing real privacy and a place to vent before she gets nominated.

*

The houseguests are told to gather in the kitchen at the table for the nomination ceremony. Ted walks in with the box that holds two keys with the names of his nominees. He sets it down on the table and faces his housemates. “This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my duty to name two people for eviction. I will pull each key and the faces of the nominees will appear on the memory wall,” Ted tells them all, the same speech they hear every week. “The first person I have nominated is,” he turns the key and says, “Jake,” as his face appears on the wall behind him. 

“What a handsome son of a bitch,” Jake says softly from where he’s sitting between Alexis and Ray. 

“The next person I have nominated is,” Ted turns the next key and says, “Rachel,” as her picture appears on the wall below Jake’s picture. “I have nominated you, Jake, because you are a strong competitor and I nominated you, Rachel, because we’ve never really spoken any game. This is not a personal decision, it is just game and I wish you both all of the luck in the veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

Ted takes the box and walks out of the room to bring it back to the storage room while everyone hugs each other in the kitchen. Ted couldn’t make his speech obvious that he was going to backdoor anyone. He hopes that Miguel doesn’t think anything of it and if he does that he doesn’t get picked to play in the Power of Veto competition.

*

Later that night, after the chatter of nominations and what people are thinking might happen this week, when most houseguests have gone to bed, David then Patrick head upstairs to meet Alexis and Ted in the HoH room. 

“Who’s still up?” Alexis asks when Patrick walks in, David already being there for about ten minutes. 

“Uh, I saw Ray in the kitchen getting a glass of water before heading to bed. I think Ronnie might still be outside,” Patrick tells her. 

Alexis is sitting with her back against the headboard in her pajamas - a silky pink nightgown and a white robe on top, Ted’s sitting at the edge of the bed, and David’s sitting on the sofa. Patrick goes to sit next to him. 

“This week is going to be smooth sailing, you guys,” Ted tells them.

David nods, “Correct.”

“It’s so perfect that Miguel didn’t get picked,” Alexis comments.

“So David and I were talking earlier and we want to solidify us four.”

“Totally, such a good idea.”

“I like it. We can get very far together if we keep this lowkey and continue to win comps,” Patrick agrees. 

“So what’s our name?” David asks, a smirk on his face. 

“How about the _ruff_ _riders_?” Ted suggests with that smile on his face that he gets when he thinks he makes a clever pun.

David awkwardly smiles as he nods his head. “Uh huh, _or_ PRO-duction. You know how Big Brother is always telling us to stop talking about them? So first rule of the alliance, don’t talk about PRO-duction.”

“Oh my God, that’s genius,” Patrick tells him.

“Yay, David!” 

Ted laughs. “I love that.” He stands from the bed and puts his arm in. Alexis makes her way over as David and Patrick stand to also put their arms in, hands topping each other.

“PRO-duction,” they whisper as they release their arms back, giggling.

DAY 18

Jake is feeling pumped. He knows he needs to win this veto today to guarantee that he doesn’t go home on Thursday. Ted also told him that he would use the veto on him if he wins it but Jake doesn’t trust anyone one hundred percent, only himself. If Ted does win and keeps his word and uses it on him, then he can definitely see himself working with Ted moving forward in this game. He’s hoping that Ted’s real target doesn’t get chosen to compete today.

*

After not having the chance to connect the night before because of their alliance meeting, Patrick searches the house for David, hoping they can make up that lost time. He finds him in the last place he expects to—the have-not room. “What are you doing in here?” he asks, closing the door behind him.

“I was hoping you’d come looking for me. No one is going to be bursting in on us in here. The other have-nots are avoiding this room as much as possible.”

“But you’re willing to spend more time in here just to have some alone time with me?” Patrick asks, wincing as he sits down beside David on what they’re trying to pass off as a mattress. “I’m oddly flattered.”

“Okay, don’t let it all go to your head. I also needed an escape from Twyla. She’s still trying to make me a slop smoothie.”

“How are you feeling?” Patrick asks.

“I can’t wait for this week to be over,” David complains. “I appreciate you trying to make the slop edible for me, but I’m hungry and my back hurts from sleeping in here.”

“Maybe I can help with that?” He motions for David to turn around. Once David does, Patrick starts to gently massage his shoulders. He follows David’s instructions, savoring the thrill that runs through him every time a breathy moan escapes David’s lips. “You know, I’ve been thinking about your general store idea.”

“Oh?” David asks hesitantly, turning around to face Patrick. “You- you have?”

“Don’t sound so worried.” Patrick gently runs a thumb across David’s forehead, smoothing out his furrowed brows. “It’s really impressive. I mean, the whole model is actually very sustainable.”

David smiles, glowing under Patrick’s praise. “Thank you.”

“I really think you have something, David. And if you need help, or want help, I’d like to be the one to help you.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I could put my degree and experience to good use,” Patrick replies. “I can advise you on the business-side of things. Or…” he trails off.

“Or?” David prompts.

“Or I could invest.” Patrick looks everywhere but at David. “If this is too much, too soon, you can tell me. I know we’re still getting to know each other, but I really want to help make your dream come true.” He winces at how cheesy the line sounds, but when he finally looks at David, he’s distracted by the confusion on his face.

“You live in Chicago.” It’s the first time either of them has acknowledged one of the challenges their showmance—as much as David hates to label whatever they’re doing as such, he’s too afraid to call it anything more yet—will face outside of the house.

“And I’m currently unemployed, if you recall,” Patrick says, shrugging. “I’ll have plenty of time to telecommute. Besides, I’m hoping some trips to Schitt’s Creek are in my future.” He smiles shyly. “If you want that.”  
“I want that,” David replies eagerly. “I definitely want that.”

“Best case scenario, we’re sitting next to each other on finale night,” Patrick murmurs, kissing the corner of David’s lips. “And we have more than enough money to make your dream a reality.”

“Worst case scenario, neither of us make it that far and we don’t have enough money,” David counters. He knows he’s going to have to tell Patrick about the final two deal he made with Stevie before he and Patrick became a thing. The longer he waits, the worse it’ll be, but he can’t bring himself to do it yet and risk ruining everything.

Shaking his head, Patrick kisses the other corner of his mouth teasingly. “Oh, we’re going to get the money. Even if we don’t win the game, we’ll figure something out. When you’re supporting local business, there are grants that you can apply for. And I would be happy to assist you with those applications.”

“Well that is very, um, very generous,” David says, pulling him closer so Patrick’s next kiss lands on his lips. “I am open to entertaining your investment offer.”

*

“Everyone!” Ted calls out, coming out of the diary room. “It’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition!” 

The house gathers in the living room - Jake and Rachel sitting in the chopping block chairs, Ted at the front of the room, and the others on the two sofas on either side of the chairs. Ted is standing behind the box that holds the chips to pick players. “Six players will compete in this competition - the Head of Household, the two nominees, and three players picked at random. Will the nominees please join me up here?”

Jake and Rachel stand and make their way to stand on either side of Ted. “As HoH, I will pick first,” Ted announces before putting his hand inside the box. He pulls a chip out and reads, “Alexis.” He smiles at her as she claps and makes her way over to stand next to Rachel who picks next. 

Rachel pulls her hand out of the box and says, “Houseguest choice,” as she shows the others the chip. “Patrick,” she says with a smile and pointing over to Patrick.

Patrick has a tight smile on his face as he stands and goes to stand next to Alexis. Jake puts his hand in the box and pulls out the last chip, “Jocelyn.” 

“Oh yay,” Jocelyn says with a smile as she makes her way to stand next to Jake.

“I need to pick someone to host and I choose…” Ted says, looking around before pointing to, “David!”

David smiles, clapping his hands together. “I hope I get a cute costume,” he says, making Patrick chuckle as he watches him from the front of the room.

“Big Brother will let us know when it is time to compete,” Ted tells them. “Good luck!”

As everyone stands to get back to doing whatever it was they were doing before this, Patrick touches Rachel’s elbow and says, “Can we talk?”

Rachel smiles as she follows Patrick to the same room they seem to always chat in. She faces him when they’re alone with the door closed and he says, “Why did you pick me?”

Rachel’s taken aback. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Patrick sighs. “Because we aren’t together…” 

“It has nothing to do with that,” She defends, even though it does have a _little_ something to do with her wanting him back. “I don’t have allies in this game that would use it on me if they win. I thought you might though.”

“That puts me in an impossible position, Rach. If I win then you’re expecting me to use it on you. I don’t know what Ted wants for this week at all so I don’t want to piss him off,” Patrick sighs.

“Patty-”

Patrick groans. “Please stop calling me that.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, trying not to get emotional. She doesn’t want to cry. “I didn’t mean to put you in anything. I just don’t want to go home.”

Patrick sighs. “I know,” he says softly. “I’m not going to throw this veto or anything, I’m still a competitor-”

“Oh, I know,” Rachel giggles softly.

Patrick smiles at her. “So I’ll compete but I have to see with Ted what his plans are if I manage to win before I can guarantee anything. I still need to protect my own game.”

“I understand,” Rachel tells him. She opens her arms, “Hug?”

Patrick steps into her arms to give her a brief hug before leaving out the door and to find David.

*

David’s sitting by the pool, mostly in the shade, but with his feet dangling into the water. Stevie and Jake are in the water and they’re talking about how Ray is just the strangest man but in the best way when Patrick walks over, sitting down next to David. 

“Hey,” he says, knocking his shoulder into Patrick’s. 

“Just spoke to Rachel about why she picked me,” Patrick tells him. Stevie floats over, closer than before to listen. Jake’s coming up behind her and hooking his chin over her to listen too.

“What did you say?” David asks, ignoring tweedle dee and tweedle dumb in the pool.

“I asked why she picked me and she said she has no allies and feels like she has me in her corner. I mean, she does in the sense that I told her I wouldn't nominate or vote against her. I am not working with her. She feels bad and I told her like I’m gonna compete but I’d have to talk to Ted if I do win because I don’t know where his head is at this week,” Patrick explains. Even though he knows that Ted wants to backdoor Miguel, he can’t say anything in front of Stevie and Jake without risking that he’s working with Ted and Alexis.

“Oh no Ted wants to backdoor Miguel,” Jake speaks. “That’s why I’m nominated, he wants me to fight to win it so he could and now that Miguel isn’t playing it should be easy enough to get the job done.”

David nods along. “That’s crazy,” he says, not wanting to let on that it was his plan.

“Okay so that’s good,” Patrick says and David tries not to chuckle at Patrick trying to be subtle. 

“But I want to win it,” Jake tells him. “I don’t want to be on the block next to him, so don’t win,” he laughs.

“Trust me, I don’t really want to,” Patrick says. He feels less stress to win it knowing Jake and Ted are putting their all into this competition and so will Rachel. Who knows what Jocelyn would do but if they don’t need him to win then he won’t have to feel bad if he can’t win.

“What do you think Jocelyn would do if she won?” Stevie asks.

David shrugs, “Probably won’t even try that hard,” he says, making them chuckle.

“David, please come to the diary room,” Production says over the speakers.

“Ohhhh,” Jake says, “Veto time!”

David stands and makes his way to the DR as per his instructions. Inside, he is given the rules to the competition and his outfit to wear. He walks back out when he’s ready and opens the door, “Everyone it’s time for the Power of Veto competition!” David calls out. “Get dressed and meet me in the backyard!”

*

They step outside and the yard is set up for the competition. There are six booths with a stool inside and headphones to put on. There is a scoreboard and another, larger booth for the host of the competition. David is waiting there for them as they each take a spot in one of the six booths available. The other houseguests are seated in the back on stools to watch this play out.

“This competition is called Hide and Go Veto, and here’s how it works. Each player will receive a Power of Veto card and, one at a time, will go into the house to hide it somewhere. After everyone has hidden the Veto card in a spot, the players will go in one at a time to search for the Veto for a select period of time. Once a card is found, it will be placed on a board until all cards, except one, are found. Once the cards are on the board, I will reveal the names that are inside. The houseguest whose name is not revealed will win the Power of Veto! Does everyone understand?” David asks the six players.

“Yes!” 

“Alexis, you’re first. Please take your veto card and hide it somewhere inside the house,” David tells her. The other players sit on their stools with headphones on. A buzzer sounds and Alexis runs into the house, trying to find a spot to hide her veto card. She’s not trying to win this competition but she still wants to play the game so she runs into the living room and hides her card inside the couch cushion of one of the chopping block chairs. 

She makes her way back outside and into her booth. Next inside to hide their card is Ted. He runs inside and looks in the living room before dashing to one of the bedrooms. He then runs back to the living room and looks at the rug. He goes around the sofa and pushes it closer to the coffee table. Ted then drops down the ground and slides his veto card under the rug. He stands back up and puts the sofa back in place. 

He goes back outside and into his booth. Jake runs in next, going straight for the washroom. He stores his veto inside one of the bins under the sink. He takes everything out, puts his card inside then puts everything back on top and puts the bin back in its place. 

After Jake has returned to his booth, Rachel goes inside next. She makes her way into the kitchen and jumps up onto the counter to grab a cereal box. She stores her veto card in there before putting back on the shelf. She makes a bit of a mess in the kitchen too while she’s at it, wanting to cause chaos and also makes a mess in the living room - she tosses cushions onto the sofas. Rachel heads back outside to take her spot. Patrick goes inside next and runs to one of the bedrooms. He hides his inside of a pillowcase. Patrtick doesn’t want to win and have Rachel expect him to save her. Ted’s plan is to have Jake come down and Miguel go up. Patrick wants to see Jake stay on the block but he’s now working with Ted and needs to appease his teammates - for now. Jake is still his number one target in this game. He just needs to win the next HoH and take him out himself. He tosses pillows around, covering his, making a mess so no one comes in there.

Patrick goes back to his seat and puts his headphones back on. Jocelyn is last to hide hers, running inside. She stops in the kitchen and opens the freezer. Jocelyn grabs a pizza box and stores her veto card next to the pizza. She turns it so the open side isn’t showing and closes the freezer. 

David stands and tells them all, “One at a time you will go inside and search for veto cards. You have two minutes, Alexis you’re first.”

The buzzer sounds and Alexis runs inside. She starts with the bathroom, moving things everywhere, pulling the bins out from under the sink, looking behind them and inside, throwing everything out. She finds a veto card at the bottom of the second bin. “Yay!” she says as she takes it and gets back off the floor, running to the door to walk out with the card proudly above her head. 

“Alexis has found a veto card!” David announces. Everyone claps as Alexis hands David the card and he hangs it on the scoreboard. “Ted, you’re next.”

The buzzer sounds and Ted runs inside, looking down the hall to the bathroom and seeing a mess. He forgoes the washroom and runs into the living room, throwing pillows on top of the sofa that is over his veto under the rug, trying to make it harder to move to find his card. He runs into the bedroom next and starts throwing everything around. He hears something tumble and finds a veto card. He grabs it before running back outside.

“Ted has found a veto card!” David exclaims, taking the card from Ted. “Jake, you’re next.”

Once the buzzer goes off, Jake jets off inside. He runs into the kitchen and starts throwing things, knocking things off of shelves. He eventually finds a card in the mess on the floor. Taking it, he heads outside, waving the messy card. 

“Jake’s found a veto card!” David takes the card before telling Rachel it’s her turn.

*

“Five veto cards have been found,” David reads a little later on when everyone has found the cards, leaving one inside to be the winner. The six players are now standing together near the scoreboard. “Alexis you found the first card, let’s see who’s veto card you found, knocking them out of the competition.”

David reveals the card, “Jake. I’m sorry Jake, you have been eliminated.”

Alexis feels like shit - he should have won this one, hopefully Ted can pull off the win. “Ted, you found the next card, let’s see who it is,” David says, opening it up and revealing, “Patrick. Sorry Patrick, you have been eliminated.”

“Jake, you found the next card, let's see who you knocked out of the competition.” David reveals the card, “Rachel. Sorry Rachel, you have been eliminated.”

The next card was found by Patrick who found Jocelyn’s in the kitchen mess, leaving only Alexis and Ted’s card unfound. “Jocelyn you found the last veto card, let’s see who you’ve eliminated from the competition.” David reveals the card, “Alexis. That means Ted, you have won the Power of Veto!”

Alexis claps, turning to hug him from where he’s standing next to her. He goes over to David to accept the PoV necklace. “Congratulations,” David tells him with a smile. 

*

David’s the first to enter the house once they’re given the go ahead. He stops short in the doorway, taking in the mess. “What the actual fuck?!”

One by one, they all enter, the houseguests who didn’t play in the competition surprised at how wrecked the house is. They all split up, David, Patrick, and Stevie taking one of the bedrooms.

“I wish I had been picked,” Stevie grumbles. “This would’ve been a fun one to play.”

“How is it fair that only six of us made this mess, but all of us have to clean it?” David pouts. “Which one of you animals wrecked the kitchen?”

Patrick shrugs, lifting one of the mattresses back onto the bed frame.

“Are you sure you didn’t leave the kitchen that way last night?” Stevie laughs.

“Ha ha,” David says, humorlessly. He watches as Patrick quietly makes one of the beds. Something seems off about him, but he’s not sure what. “Stevie, you should go help in the kitchen.”

“What? Why would I-” she starts to ask, but stops when she sees David gesturing wildly at Patrick, whose back is to them. “On second thought, I’ll catch up with you later.”

David waits until she leaves to walk over to Patrick. “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re acting weird. You didn’t even help Stevie tease me.”

Patrick grins at that, chuckling. “I knew you secretly enjoyed that.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s what I said.” David sits down on the bed that Patrick just made and motions for him to follow. “Well?”

Patrick sighs as he sits down. “I think it’s the veto competition. What if I had won? I didn’t hide mine well, but short of just leaving it on the kitchen counter in plain sight, there wasn’t really a way to guarantee it didn’t just get overlooked by dumb luck.”

“You could’ve taken Rachel off the block. I’m pretty sure Jake has charmed enough people in this house that he’d have the votes to stay against Miguel. And it wouldn’t be bad if Jake left instead.”

“But I wouldn’t have taken her off,” Patrick objects, fighting off a grin at David’s easy dismissal of Jake. “I’d do what’s best for our alliances and our game. And that’s having Rachel on the block this week.” 

David reaches out to hold Patrick’s hand. “You don’t have to feel guilty. It was unfair of her to pick you. You’ve told her where you stand but she keeps trying to force you into helping her.”

“I know, but...” Patrick sighs. “She’s my oldest friend. We were friends before we started dating. And I basically ran away from her.”

“And as your friend, she should want you to be happy. Or so I’ve heard.” David squeezes his hand. “You deserve to be happy. You’re a nice person.”

“Thanks, David. And for the record, I also think you deserve to be happy and you’re a good person.”

“It’s just I said _nice person_.” 

“I know,” Patrick says, looking at David’s lips before leaning in for a kiss.

“I just need you to say nice person,” David pulls away reluctantly to say.

“You’re a good person,” Patrick repeats.

“That’s not nice.”

“You know what’s nice?” Patrick stands up, pulling David with him. “Helping me finish cleaning up this room.”

“I liked it better when you weren’t teasing me,” David complains half-heartedly, but starts to pick up some of the pillows that were thrown on the floor.

DAY 19

Alexis wakes up in bed—in the big, nice, comfortable HoH bed—with Ted snuggling behind her, slowly waking her from where he’s been breathing on her neck. She smiles as she turns in his arms and kisses him softly on the lips. She’s been staying in here with him since the second night of his HoH reign. At this point it seems like people know they’re into each other but Alexis still sneaks out of the room and into hers where she sees Patrick standing by his bed. It’s made up and perfect— she doesn’t know how he makes his bed so neat in the early mornings. 

As she passed by the living room to make it to her bedroom, she saw on the screen:

**_Power of Veto Ceremony Today_ **

Alexis knows what Ted is going to do with that PoV. He’s so excited about it, he could barely fall asleep last night - and it wasn’t because of all the making out they did in bed. Thinking about it makes Alexis blush as she looks through her clothes for an outfit for the day. She puts on some high waisted jean shorts and a flowy, flower print, off the shoulders top and her wedges. 

Spending the days talking and getting to know everyone is what Alexis is mainly relying on in this game. She knows her social game is killer right now— everyone loves her, like she doesn’t feel like she has bad vibes with anyone. Miguel is a little too flirty which she knows Ted doesn’t like but it’s just a game. Having Ted, and also having this alliance with her brother and Patrick, really makes her feel like she has people who are going to look after her, but being fun and nice to everyone is what’s going to gain her jury votes if she makes it to the end. 

She’s sitting outside on the sofa under the shade, sipping on her morning coffee. Mutt is sitting with her, doing the same thing. Everyone’s up and starting their day how they normally do. “What’s Ted gonna do at the veto meeting?” Mutt asks her over his steaming mug. 

Alexis feigns innocence. “Why would I know that?”

Mutt scoffs. “I see the way you two are together.”

Alexis smacks his arm. “And what does that mean?”

“Nothing,” he mumbles. “You’re very cute together.”

Alexis groans. “Shut up,” she says, making Mutt chuckle. 

Miguel walks outside with Jake behind him; they head to the weights. “I think he’s going to use it,” Mutt says, watching the two other men start to prepare for their workout.

“Huh,” Alexis hums. 

“I think he’s going to backdoor someone,” Mutt continues like she didn’t say anything.

“Who?” Alexis asks, wanting to know what he sees, what he thinks he knows is going on.

“You know who,” Mutt says, looking at her. He turns his gaze back to Mutt and Jake as he sips on his coffee.

Alexis watches Mutt, sees how he figured it all out. She likes Mutt, he’s fun to have around, he’s nice to look at, but he’s smart. He sees a lot, things that they don’t think he sees. She’s going to have to keep her eye on him and even warn her alliance. He might be someone they need to go after sooner rather than later.

*

The houseguests are sitting outside later that day, waiting for Ted. He pokes halfway outside the sliding doors to say, “It’s time for the Power of Veto ceremony.”

Once everyone is seated in the living room, Jake and Rachel in the chopping block chairs, Ted says from the front of the room, “This is the Power of Veto meeting. I have won the power to remove one of the two nominees and change my nominations. I had a plan for this week and winning the PoV was part of that plan. The next step in my plan - well, it was to use it. I have decided to use the Power of Veto on Jake.”

Jake stands, a grin on his face as he walks to Ted who places the veto necklace around his neck. They hug briefly, Jake whispering, “Thanks man.”

Ted pats his back as he goes to sit on the sofa. Ted continues, “My plan all along was to use both Jake and Rachel as pawns. I gave my word to Jake that if I did win the veto I would use it on him. The next and final part of my plan was to have Miguel go up in his place, so Miguel if you wouldn’t mind…” he motions for Miguel to take the empty chair next to Rachel.

“Wow,” Miguel says as he stands and plops into the chair next to her on the block. “Real classy.”

“This Power of Veto meeting is adjourned,” Ted carries on, ignoring Miguel. He closes the PoV box before picking it up and heading to the storage room.

Miguel walks into the diary room after requesting access and sits in the chair with a huff. “He thinks he could just backdoor me and I would let that happen?” he asks, laughing maniacally. “Boy, does he have something coming.” Miguel shakes his head. “I am going to blow his game up so people see me as an asset to stay. I will make it known that if they keep me, I will go after Ted and I will be a shield for those who need it. I’m not going anywhere, Ted Mullens. Like in the vet business, I am the better man, and I will be staying come eviction night. You better watch out ’cause I’m comin’ for ya.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Houseguests are spying on each other and showmances get closer. Either Rachel or Miguel will be leaving, and who will win the next Head of Household competition?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter, we hope you're enjoying this ride as much as we are with writing it.  
> Thanks for the support, enjoy! 💖
> 
> p.s. there is a link at the beginning for an 'Inside Schitt's Creek' thing but for some reason Canada can't watch it... i don't get it either, anyway, yeah, enjoy that too if you can access it lol

DAY 20

  
Patrick finishes washing the last of his breakfast dishes and glances towards the bedrooms. It’s been long enough since production’s wake up call that David should be almost finished with his morning routine.

“Are you in any clubs, Patrick?” Rays asks from the kitchen island, where he’s sitting next to Ronnie. Ray cooked this morning, what he’s calling slop waffles for the have-nots and regular waffles for the rest of the house.

“What?” Patrick looks over at Ray confused. Is he asking if Patrick is in any alliances?

“[I like starting clubs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuib_avXAlE),” Rays continues, not waiting for an answer. “Crochet club and the cooking club,” he starts listing.

“The cigar club,” Ronnie adds, getting up to put her dishes in the sink. “Thanks for doing the dishes,” she says, dryly.

“I wasn-” Patrick starts to say, but at Ronnie’s expression, he changes his mind. “Sure, no problem.”

Ronnie heads outside, leaving Patrick and Ray alone. Now sure that Ray isn’t trying to figure out alliances, Patrick partially tunes him out as he starts on Ronnie’s dishes.

“We also had the S&M club, which was very popular.”

“Wait, what?” Patrick spins around.

“Sewings and monograms,” Ray explains. “We had a lot of very confused people showing up. It was even more confusing when we started the knitting club and called it the needle exchange.”

David enters the kitchen, saving Patrick from having to reply. He leans against the island, less casually than he thinks. “Good morning, Ray. Patrick.”

“Morning, David!” Ray says, cheerfully. “Would you like some slop waffles?” he points to his plate.

“I’ll pass.” David grimaces.

“Good morning.” Patrick says, wondering how quickly he can get David alone.

David finds an opening first.“Do you know how to play chess? You seem like the type to know how to play chess.” At Patrick’s nod, he asks, “Teach me? It’ll be something to pass the time.”

“Sure, let me just finish these,” he motions towards the sink.

“I’ll do those!” Ray says, waving them off. “Once you learn we can all have a tournament!” 

“Mhm, sounds fun,” David offers, tugging on Patrick’s sleeve to hurry him.

Patrick follows David up the stairs to the chess table outside the HoH room. “I’m rusty,” he apologizes as they sit down. “But I think I can teach you the basics.”

“Oh, we’re not actually playing chess. And I already know how to play. This was just an excuse for some alone time without people talking.”

Patrick tilts his head toward the kitchen below them. “Pretty sure people can see us making out from down there.”

“That’s not- that’s not why-”

Patrick chuckles. “I know. Why are we here, though?”

David waves a hand over the chess table. “Just pick up pieces and pretend like you’re explaining them to me. We need to study.”

“Study?” Patrick asks, picking up a pawn and twirling it between two fingers.

“Sooner or later there’s going to be a competition where we’re going to have to rely on our memory,” David says. He explains some of the past competitions where houseguests had to answer true or false questions about events that happened in the house. “We need to know everything that has happened and when it happened.”

“Smart,” Patrick replies, grinning at David’s happy expression at the praise. “Start from the beginning?”

David nods. “Day one, Mom was wearing a—”  
“—Wait,” Patrick interrupts. “Do you really think we’ll have to answer a question about what your mom was wearing?”

“That’s exactly the type of question she would ask,” David counters. “Trust me.”

“I do,” Patrick replies instantly, and David fights back a smile. “But I don’t think she’s the one who creates the questions.”  
“Probably not,” David relents. “Fine, the first group in was…"

They cover the first week, going over everything from how everyone placed in the competitions to how the votes were split. It’s partially through week two that it hits Patrick.

“And Day 13 was—”

“—It was your birthday,” Patrick interrupts him. “And today is Day 20.” 

David stares at him, waiting for Patrick to connect the dots for him.

“Happy week-iversary, David.”

“Week-iversary?” David scrunches his face in disgust, but Patrick can make out a faint blush starting to color his cheeks. "That's not a real thing."

“Of course not,” Patrick agrees. “But-,” he adds, grinning. “-we can’t be certain that we’ll be in the house together for our month-iversary, so we’ll have to improvise for now.”

“Month-iversaries are also incorrect.” 

Patrick shrugs. “I think this is worth celebrating.” 

Even if they had a guarantee they’ll both still be in the house in three weeks to celebrate together, Patrick would still want to celebrate the past week. He wishes he could do more to show David how much this week has meant to him. But he can’t give him a gift or even cook him a decent meal.

“I agree,” David says, his smile soft. “It’s definitely something to celebrate.”

Patrick feels a warmth settle over his body as he takes in David’s words. Maybe words are enough for now. But he’s definitely going to find a way to make sure David understands how he feels as soon as they’re out of the house.

“C’mon,” he says. “Let’s keep studying. We need to make sure we stay in this game.”

“Day 13,” David starts again, with a smile matching Patrick’s, as they continue.

*

Miguel’s been going around the house all day talking to people about votes. David hasn’t spoken to him yet but he knows it’s coming. The consensus is to evict Miguel and keep Rachel. Ted—the HoH and new member in an alliance with David—wants Miguel out. David doesn’t _want_ to keep Miguel, it’s just that he so badly wants to just vote Rachel out. He knows he can’t but it’s still nice to think about. He sits down outside on the sofa under the umbrella joining Stevie, Jocelyn, and Ray. He sips on his water bottle as his gaze lands on Patrick working out with Jake and Mutt. He bites his bottom lip slightly - _wow_ , Patrick is glistening in the sun. After studying all morning for potential competitions, they split ways to not draw too much attention to them. David doesn’t mind forcing a separation if he gets to watch him work out in the sun. 

He feels someone kick him and sees Stevie has been watching him watch Patrick. “Ouch,” he groans.

“You got a little -” he says pointing to her chin indicating drool. 

“Okay,” he says with a nod, taking a sip of his drink and looking anywhere else then back on Patrick’s shirtless body working out. 

Miguel comes outside and sits down with them. “Hey, guys.”

“Hello, Miguel,” Ray says in his cheery voice. 

David and Stevie just nod at him as Jocelyn waves with a smile on her face. 

“I know you might be keeping Rachel this week but I’d really like your votes to stay,” Miguel says. There’s a pause, then he continues, “I’m going after Ted, None of you are my targets. I know he’s well liked, but he is a threat to your games. He’s physically, mentally, and socially strong in this game. I want to take him out. So if you vote for me to stay, then I promise you I won’t be coming for you. I will also be a shield for you.”

They listen and nod along, taking in what he has to say - his campaign against Rachel. He makes compelling arguments - Ted is physical, mental, and socially good at this game. He is a clear threat to win the whole thing, David knows this. However, he’s in an alliance with Ted who will help get him far in this game. He won’t go against his alliance member for Miguel of all people even if it means having to vote to keep Rachel.

*

“Should I be campaigning?” Rachel asks Twyla as they sit at the table. Miguel just walked outside going to find more people to talk to. She’s seeing him talking to everyone, people he hasn’t spoken any game to at all to campaign against her. She knows Miguel is the target but what if people flip on her.

“I think you have all the votes but it doesn’t hurt to talk to people and just like get that reassurance somehow,” Twyla tells her. 

“Yeah… I wanna go in the pool, wanna come?” Rachel asks her.

“No, but I’ll come outside with you.”

They make their way outside and to the pool. Rachel gets in, joining Alexis and Ronnie. Twyla sits near the pool, legs crossed. The perfect time to start getting some reassurance.

“Miguel’s working hard,” she comments, nodding towards where he’s talking to David, Stevie, Jocelyn, and Ray.

“Oh girl, don’t even worry about that,” Alexis says, touching her arm lightly. 

“Yeah, he isn’t getting any votes to stay,” Ronnie tells her, arms resting on the edge of the pool behind her back, body floating in the water. “You have _nothing_ to worry about.”

She nods her head, a smile on her face. “Thanks guys.”

Miguel leaves that group to go to the guys working out where she just realized Patrick is working out with the other guys. He’s putting his tank top back on when Miguel approaches them. He looks so good, all sweaty. Her eyes snap over to David where he is also looking over at Patrick - well, towards the guys but she knows it’s Patrick. They spend a lot of time together, if she notices it, she’s sure others have too. All that Rachel knows is that Patrick has been different here than back home. She doesn’t trust David - he is creating a divide between her and Patrick, someone who could be a real ally to her in this game. She needs David out of this house so she can have a chance to work with Patrick and ultimately, win him back. 

*

Later that night when most people have gone to bed - or so they thought - the Jazzagals are sitting in the room off of the washroom. Without being in power this week, it’s been hard for them to meet up in private without everyone knowing they are talking game. It’s late and they saw everyone trickle off so they figured that slowly they’d each walk into the room and once they were all in there they could talk about the week and what they hope could happen next week.

Ray is coming out of the washroom, on his way to bed, when he hears noises in the room off the washroom. He presses his ear to the door and listens in. He can’t hear all that well but he can hear the voices of Jocelyn, Gwen, Ronnie, and Twyla in the room. _Interesting_.

“This week is basically over, we know Miguel is leaving,” Jocelyn says. “What I’m more concerned about or well, thinking about, is next week.”

“We need to get back in power,” Gwen chimes in.

“Damn straight. I miss hanging out in the HoH room,” Ronnie says, making them chuckle.

“If one of us gets HoH, who would be your targets?” Jocelyn asks.

“I really don’t know who I’d go after,” Twyla says.

“I do,” Gwen says. There’s a pause before she adds, “Jake. He’s very strong - clearly a huge threat in this game and definitely someone who could win.”

“No way Jake would win this whole thing. He’s too cocky,” Ronnie says. 

Ray hears a noise in another part of the house and decides that’s enough snooping for one night. He doesn’t want to get caught so he files the information away as he makes his way to bed.

DAY 22

It’s eviction day and the houseguests are dressed in their own clothing in preparation for tonight's HoH competition but they were told to dress casually (mainly for the ladies if they wanted to wear a dress, not to). They’re seated in the main room, all on the sofas and the two nominees on the chopping block chairs.

“Good evening, houseguests,” Moira comes onto the screen to greet everyone.

“Hi, Moira!” 

“How’s everyone feeling tonight? I’ll start with you, Jake. Congratulations on winning veto and removing yourself from the block. How does it feel to not be perched on one of those chairs?”

“Thanks, Moira. It feels great,” Jake laughs. “I definitely feel good.”

“You’re not tired at all?” Moira asks, a smirk on her face. Jake doesn’t know what to say but before he can think of something she says, “Take a look.”

Moira disappears and the houseguests are shown footage of the have-not room with Jake, David, Ray, and Mutt sleeping. David is snoring loudly, making Ray toss in his bed slightly. Jake lifts his head up and looks over at David, in the spot next to him, where he just snored again very loudly.

The houseguests laugh as they watch this back. David snores again before turning on his side, facing away. Jake says, “Oh my God,” softly and turns away from David. 

The footage disappears and Moira is back, “David, have you always been a snorer?” 

David holds back the eye roll he wishes to give his mother and says, “I’ve never been told that I snore so I didn’t even know.”

“Um, that’s a lie, David, I’ve told you _so_ many times that you snore,” Alexis chimes in. 

David groans at her, refraining from saying something he can’t say on live TV. 

“Alright, alright,” Moira says. She regains everyone's focus and informs them, “Tonight is the live vote and eviction. Rachel or Miguel will be leaving tonight. You both have 30 seconds to plead your case to your housemates. Miguel, you’re up first.”

Miguel stands, smoothing his hands down his jeans. “Thank you, Moira. Mom, Dad, I love you. Klair, thinkin’ ’bout you non-stop, babe. Houseguests, I am not ready to leave this house. You already know who my target is so keep me in this house and let me be a shield for you. Thank you.”

“Rachel, you’re next.”

“Thank you, Moira,” Rachel stands. “Miss you all back home. Houseguests, I am not ready to stop playing this game. I feel like I have so much more to do. If I benefit your game in any way, please vote to keep me. Thank you.”

“Thank you both,” Moira tells them. “One at a time, you will head to the diary room to cast your vote. Ronnie, you’re up first.”

*

Moira reappears on the screen as Alexis, the last person to vote, sits back down on the sofa. “Houseguests, the votes are in. The evicted houseguest must say their goodbyes, gather his or her belongings and walk out the front door,” Moira recites. “By a vote of 11 to 0, Miguel, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Miguel nods before standing. Rachel also stands and hugs him. He walks by people, patting them or just walking by. Everyone walks him to the door where he grabs his bag. He’s annoyed that his plan didn’t work, but he got outplayed by Ted. It is what it is. He says goodbye and walks out the front door.

*

The houseguests watch as Miguel’s photo fades to gray on the memory wall before everyone but David and Patrick scatter to prepare for the HoH competition. Knowing it’ll be a physical competition, Mutt and Jake start stretching by the door to the backyard with Gwen watching them. Twyla leads Alexis, Rachel, Jocelyn, and Ray in a yoga breathing exercise. 

Ronnie shakes her head at Gwen. “Get your head in the game,” she mutters under her breath.

Back at the memory wall, David sighs. “I can’t believe she would show that clip.” He shakes his head. “Actually, I can believe it, which is worse.”

“It’s not that bad,” Patrick says, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder briefly, a lot briefer than he’d like.

“Why haven’t you told me I snore?” he asks, narrowing his eyes at Patrick. “Maybe it’s just because of how difficult it was to sleep on that mattress.”

Patrick smiles apologetically. “It wasn’t because of the have not room. You’ve been snoring since you got here. _But_ , I find it very cute,” he says, lowering his voice so no one can overhear.

“As if,” David protests. “I can’t believe all of America saw that.”

“Will it help if I show you something embarrassing?”

David considers Patrick’s offer. “It depends.”

“Quick, before Miguel’s interview ends and we get yelled at to go back into the living room.” Patrick grabs David’s hand to pull him towards the bedroom. Knowing no one can see them, he doesn’t let go until they’re near his bag. He digs in deep and pulls out a nasal vent, holding it out to David.

“And what is this?”

“It helps me sleep better,” Patrick explains. “It keeps me from snoring. I wait until everyone is asleep to put it in, and then I hide it again before everyone wakes up.”

“This isn’t helpful. I bet you look cute in it.” He waves his hand at Patrick’s outfit. “It’s ridiculous how you can look good in everything.”

“I’ll show you tonight how ridiculous it looks,” Patrick promises, putting it away. “Maybe even buy you one once we’re out of here,” he teases gently. Leaning in towards David, he presses a kiss against his cheek. “And if anyone looks good in everything, it’s definitely you.”

David moves to follow up Patrick’s compliment with a kiss, but production calls for everyone to head into the backyard to prepare for the competition.

“Later,” Patrick promises. “Good luck.”

“You, too.” David takes a deep breath in and lets it out. He’s not sure if he wants to win the competition yet. It’s still too early to present himself as a strong threat, but the only way to guarantee his safety is if he or one of his allies win.

*

“This competition is called Time Highway,” Moira announces to them as they all stand in the order they picked when they got out here. “And here’s how it works. Place yourself on or inside of the platform that will roll, and launch yourself down the path. Reach the finish line in the time closest to the designated target time. The winner will be the new Head of Household. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes,” mostly everyone says back, others just nod.

“During the break, by random draw, we have our order so Alexis you’re up first,” Moira tells her. 

Alexis gets into the canoe shaped platform and pushes herself forward. She doesn’t make it to the finish line so she is out of the competition.

It goes on and on, one by one, they each launch themselves forward. The person in the lead right now is Patrick. He doesn’t necessarily need to win but if he does, he will be happy about it. He has a target in mind and would love to take that shot at Jake.

Jake’s up next and launches himself forward way faster than Patrick did so he is now in the lead. Well, there goes his shot this week. He just hopes that Jake didn’t also have him in mind as his target.

The last two people go but can’t beat Jake so they are eliminated. “Congratulations, Jake, you are the new Head of Household,” Moira announces.

“Woo!!” Jake cheers, jumping off the platform he was standing on. He hugs Stevie, who went last in the competition, picking her up in his large embrace before accepting the HoH key around his neck from Ted. “Congrats, bud,” he says softly, as they hug. 

Everyone goes around hugging Jake and congratulating him as they make their way back inside. 

Jake heads for the diary room. Once seated, he removes the key from his neck and dangles it next to him. “Guess who’s this week’s HoH?” he teases before laughing. “I’m so pumped I won! So pumped. My only goal for this week is to break up some duos or alliances that I’ve already seen from but mainly going to rely on what people tell me. I trust Stevie in this game. I sort of trust David too, I feel like he wouldn’t come after. And I trust Ted, he saved me last week with the veto, I mean, he did nominate me but it was to backdoor Miguel so I have no ill will towards him, I think we could help each other in this game. Other than them, everyone else should be worried. We’ll see how this week goes…” Jake laughs again as he looks at the HoH key. “So fucking pumped. Let’s go!!”

*

David notices Patrick limping slightly as everyone makes their way back inside the house. “You okay?” 

Patrick smiles at him softly before looking down at where he definitely is feeling a little stinging pain in his ankle from when he tried getting out of the canoe. All he says though is, “Fine.” 

“You don’t look fine, you’re limping,” David adds, not having any of what Patrick has to say. He’s limping so he must be in pain. “C'mon.” He slips his arm behind Patrick’s back to hold him as Patrick’s arm goes around David’s shoulders. 

David starts to help Patrick walk towards the living room. Patrick smiles softly but hides it so no one notices anything. “Thanks,” he says softly.

“Are you okay?” Stevie asks as she passes them in the kitchen. 

“He was limping,” David tells her.

“I think I might have hurt my ankle in that comp,” he says, as the three of them walk - or hobble in Patrick’s case - towards the living room.

He sits down on the sofa where David helps him down. “Who’s in the DR now?” David asks as he turns to look at Stevie, hands on his hips. 

Patrick can’t help but smile up at him. “Jake.” 

David nods at her before turning to Patrick, “When he comes out, you need to have someone look at your ankle so Big Brother,” he looks up and around for a camera. “Can someone look at Patrick’s ankle when Jake’s done, thanks so much.”

Patrick chuckles. “Thank you, David but really I’m fine,” he sees the look on David’s face so he rushes to add, “ _But_ I will still let them look at it.”

David smiles at him sweetly, a tender look on his face. “Okay.”

Stevie has walked away, not bothering with this, she has to pee. David notices they’re alone so he leans and presses his lips softly in the quickest peck ever. He steps back and is about to say something when Twyla and Rachel walk by. They smile at each other as they walk by and into the bedrooms area. David looks at Patrick and says, “I should-,” pointing behind him.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to be okay like to go inside?” David asks.

Patrick smiles at him. “I’ll ask Jake to help me.” He knows they need to have space so people don’t know they’re a couple in this house. He definitely doesn’t want them to be a target in this house this early, he doesn’t want to stop getting to know David, even if it’s in brief moments together. Still learning about him and seeing who he is every day, alone or in groups, Patrick’s not ready for that to end.

“Not sure I like that idea. But okay.” David smiles softly before leaving.

Patrick holds back a grin at David's jealousy. It's not to see David's not immune to the same feelings he had at the beginning of the game whenever Jake was near David.

Jake steps out of the diary room and Big Brother says, “Patrick, please come to the diary room.”

Jake’s by his side, helping him up, even though he’s not that badly hurt. After Patrick’s settled on the chair, Jake leaves the diary room and makes his way back out. He opens the door and yells out to the rest of the house, “Who wants to see my HoH room?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will Jake nominate for eviction and will they be able to save themselves in the Power of Veto competition?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This one is quite long and a lot of fun, we hope you enjoy it!! 💖

DAY 23

Waking up in the HoH room feels great. Jake took the night to sleep by himself but he’s thinking of asking Stevie to spend some nights with him. He always sleeps well with someone by his side – especially Stevie. She brings him comfort in this house and he definitely likes having her around. He stretches in bed before letting out a deep groan and getting out of bed. He takes a shower in his private bathroom, taking his time as he gets ready for the day. 

Jake’s not really sure what he’s going to do for the nominations tonight but he’s hoping with conversations that will be had today that it will help make up his mind. He also really needs to speak with Stevie because she is definitely his closest ally in this house. He trusts Ted, too, and would love his input but his number one is Stevie. 

He makes his way downstairs, dressed in a grey t-shirt and some striped blue swim trunks with his sunglasses atop his head. Stevie’s sipping on her coffee, back against the counter and nods her head in greeting to him. She puts her mug down and grabs another from the cabinet and fills it with coffee. He joins her and accepts the offered mug. “Thanks,” he mutters.

Ted is making breakfast and it smells great – bacon and pancakes. He bumps his shoulder into Stevie’s and when she looks up at him, he asks, “Wanna go for a chat?”

“Sure,” she says with a shrug. 

He nods but before they leave the kitchen, he steps up next to Ted and asks, “Got any extra?”

Ted smiles. “More than enough. Don’t go too far, it’ll be ready soon.”

“You got it, boss,” Jake says. He nods his head to Stevie and leads the way outside. Mutt is already outside working out but other than that, no one else seems to be up yet or at least aren’t outside. 

They sit on the sofa in silence for a few moments before Stevie asks, “How was your first night in the HoH room?”

Jake’s head falls back onto the cushion, a small sigh escaping his mouth. “It was good – really comfortable. You should spend a night or two up there with me,” he says with a smirk.

Stevie eyes him over the rim of her mug. “Wouldn’t that look suspicious?”

Jake shrugs. “We’ll be fine. Miss having you next to me,” he says, scooching closer to her on the sofa. 

Stevie looks over at Mutt who's too busy working out to even look at them. Jake kisses her neck and she melts a little at the contact. He kisses her cheek then her lips before pulling back and putting some distance between them again. “So who should I go after this week?”

Stevie shakes her head, regaining her composure. “I don’t know. Who do you think is coming after you?” 

Jake shrugs again. “I’m sure a lot of people are, look at me.”

“That’s true, you’ve already been used twice as a pawn,” Stevie reminds him. “You could just put them up – Gwen and Ted.”

“Ted used the veto on me, he kept his word, don’t think I need to put him up but Gwen… now that’s an easy nomination.” 

“If you wanna go that route, just nominate her and someone she’s close to,” Stevie suggests.

Their conversation is put to an end when Ted pokes his head out the door to tell them breakfast is ready if they want it. Talking with Stevie helped put him in the right set of mind for the nominations today. He doesn’t like that Gwen used him as a _pawn_ just to get rid of Bob who was the definition of a floater in this game. He has noticed her being very close to a few of the girls and wouldn’t be shocked if there was some big girl’s alliance. He definitely needs to have more talks with everyone today to make the best choice for his game.

*

After breakfast, when everyone is lounging around, Jake comes out of the diary room with an announcement. Everyone gathers in the living room. “Houseguests, this week, the outgoing have-nots will choose one person each to be the new have-nots for the week. You cannot choose an outgoing have-not.”

David eyes the room, scoping out his targets. “The outgoing have-nots were myself, David, Mutt, and Ray. Since I am HoH, I will not pick a have-not so there will only be three have-nots this week. David, you pick first,” Jake informs them.

David already knows who he is going to pick but he pretends to look around, trying to figure it out. “I’m gonna go with someone who hasn’t been a have-not yet so Rachel. Sorry.” 

She shrugs it off but he can feel her death glare on him. “Mutt, you pick next,” Jake tells him.

“I’m also going to pick someone who hasn’t done it yet… Ted, sorry bud,” Mutt says, picking the former HoH.

“All good,” Ted says in a cheery voice.

“And Ray, who has been a have-not three weeks in a row. Buddy, who do you pick?”

“Well, I am _very_ happy I won’t be a have-not again this week and I am sorry to do this to you but I pick Gwen,” Ray says, giving his evicted friend Bob some justice by making her uncomfortable for the week.

“Alright so Rachel, Ted, and Gwen are the have-nots for the week,” Jake tells them before ending the meeting and letting them get back to their days.

David and Patrick stay seated on the sofa as everyone disperses. “Was that bad that I picked her?”

“No, all of you picked people who haven’t been have-nots yet. It didn’t look malicious,” Patrick tells him.

“I wasn’t trying to be malicious but to have her be a have-not this week does kind of make me happy,” David says, mouth twisted up to the side.

Patrick laughs. “I’m just happy no one picked me.”

“Me too. We’ll be in the same room again,” David says softly. 

Patrick smiles at him sweetly. “Should we talk to Jake today about noms?” he asks quietly.

“Definitely but not together,” David reminds him. “Actually, I’m gonna see if I can pull him for a chat now. I’ll let you know what happens before you go talk to him.” 

“Okay, David.”

They both stand, Patrick squeezing David’s arm lightly before he walks away and towards the kitchen. David follows Patrick and sees Jake sitting at the table. “Jake, can I pull you for a chat?”

“Of course.” 

*

Jake’s been having the conversations he knew he would have today. One by one, everyone is coming up to the HoH room for a chat. He’s spoken to mainly everyone thus far. There’s a knock at his door before Ray pops his head inside. “Hello! Are you free for a chat?”

“Yeah, come on in,” Jake tells him. He’s sitting on the sofa when Ray walks in and sits next to him. “How’s it feel to not be a have-not for the first time this summer?”

“Oh, it feels incredible. Food has never tasted so good,” Ray says with a chuckle. “I just wanted to talk with you about nominations today…”

“Yeah.”

“I know we haven’t spoken any game but I did want to tell you that you aren’t a target to me. I think you’re great and would love to work together in this game. I have some information that I’d like to share with you that could maybe help you with your decision today. I just hope in return you would keep me off of the block,” Ray tells him.

Jake nods. “That I could do,” he tells him even though he’s half lying – if Ray has information then that means he’s playing the game and is someone he needs to keep his eye on.

Ray extends his hand and Jake shakes it. Ray grins and says, “Great so the night before eviction, I was leaving the bathroom when I heard noises in that room.”

“Uh huh,” Jake hums.

“There was a group of four in there discussing what they would do if they won the next HoH.”

“Who was it?” Jake asks, very intrigued with this turn of events.

“Jocelyn, Gwen, Ronnie, and Twyla,” Ray gives him the tea.

“Interesting… I have noticed them being a close group but didn’t think anything game related about it. It makes sense that they’d be an alliance though.”

“Yes. That’s not all though…” Ray says with a smirk on his face. Jake looks at him expectantly so Ray continues, “I heard Gwen mention that you are a target of hers. I walked away before hearing anyone else’s targets.”

Jake shakes his head. “Thanks for this, Ray. It’s very useful information.”

Ray grins. “You’re welcome. I’m glad it could help.”

“You’re good with me, my dude. No need to worry this week,” Jake tells him, clapping his hand over his shoulder. He wants to break up this girls alliance that he now knows for a fact exists so he’ll keep his word to Ray this week.

*

Patrick doesn’t know what to think. He doesn’t trust Jake, not since he’s seen how much he flirts with David and that just doesn’t sit well with him. Jake’s a huge threat in this game and it would be stupid for him not to want him out but now that he is HoH, he has to make nice. He really doesn’t want to kiss his ass but he will have to have a conversation with him at some point. Most houseguests have gone to speak to him. David told him that their chat went well, that he wasn’t coming after him at all and even really wants them to work together. Patrick had to refrain from rolling his eyes at that, just letting it go. He goes up to the HoH room when he sees Ray exit. 

Patrick goes inside the room when he hears Jake say to come in. “Hey man,” Jake says when he sees Patrick enter. 

“Hey,” Patrick says simply. “You okay to have a chat?”

“Of course, come sit,” Jake says, patting the sofa next to where he’s sitting on it.

Patrick nods as he makes his way over to sit on the sofa near him. “Great shirt by the way,” Jake says looking at the green t-shirt he’s wearing. “It really brings out your lips.”

Patrick blanks, eyes going a little wide. “Um, thank you,” he manages to say. 

“Yeah, no problem.” 

Jake’s eyeing him and he really doesn’t know what to do. “Must be tired of all these chats today, huh?” he asks, chuckling lightly, trying to get away from dangerous waters.

Jake shrugs. “Not really, got some pretty good intel,” he informs him.

Patrick nods his head. “Right, okay, well, um –”

“Pat, you’re fine,” Jake interrupts him with. “I have other targets in mind; you are not on my list.”

Patrick lets out a sigh of relief, chuckling. “That’s good, thanks, man.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Jake says as Patrick stands to leave the room. Rachel’s waiting out by the door and he nods at her as he passes by.

Rachel knocks at the HoH door and is let in by Jake saying, “Yeah?”

“Hey, got a minute?” Rachel asks him from the open doorway.

“For your beautiful face? Always,” Jake says, a smile on his face as she makes her way inside, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Oh stop,” she says as she goes to sit next to him. “How’s it going?”

“Pretty good, I’m having a lot of talks today.”

“Yeah, I bet. How’s that going by the way? You know who you’re putting up?”

“Pretty much,” he nods. She looks at him expectantly, batting her lashes. He laughs, “You’re not on my radar, don’t worry.”

Rachel grins, touching his bicep lightly. “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

Rachel didn’t come in here to talk about nominations. She figured she wouldn’t be up this week with Jake in power. The reason she came in is because she’s noticed how Patrick looks at David and it’s not a look she’s ever seen directed at her before. She _knows_ something is up and she’s going to prove it. She just needs Jake’s help so she starts planting her seeds. “So I was talking to some people and they’ve noticed how David looks at you…”

Jake’s eyebrow rises. “What do you mean?” he asks, turning more to face her.

“I think he likes you.”

Jake laughs. “What gives you that impression?”

Rachel shrugs, appearing nonchalant. “Just the way he looks at you and how flirty I’ve seen you be together.” Jake is taking her bait, clearly thinking about it. “You should go for it,” she adds, pushing at his shoulder lightly, sly smile on her face.

“I’m not looking for a showmance,” Jake tells her.

“I didn’t say showmance but like a cheeky flirt isn’t harmful,” Rachel counters.

Jake laughs. “You’re bad.”

“You love it,” Rachel smirks.

Jake sighs. “I do…” 

With her seed planted, she sticks around for a bit longer until Stevie comes into the room asking if she’s interrupting. “You’re good, I was just heading out,” Rachel tells her. “Good chat,” she adds, looking down at Jake from where she’s now standing.

Jake nods as he watches her leave and Stevie comes over to join him. “What did she want?” Stevie asks.

“Just to know about noms,” Jake tells her half of what their conversation entailed. He knows David and her are close so he keeps that other information private for now. 

“You know what you’re going to do for them by the way?”

“Mhm,” Jake hums.

*

All the houseguests are seated at the kitchen table, facing the head of the room where Jake walks in holding the nomination key box. He places it on the table and addresses his housemates, “This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my duty to nominate two people for eviction. I will turn the keys and the houseguests nominated will appear on the memory wall. The first person I have nominated is…” he turns the first key and the picture appears on the wall behind him. “Gwen.” After a pause he continues, “The next person I have nominated is…” he turns the second key and the next picture appears on the wall. “Jocelyn.” 

Gwen and Jocelyn smile at each other, a wink exchanged between them. “I have nominated you, Gwen because I heard rumors that I am your biggest target, also, you nominated me on week one. Jocelyn, you’re close to Gwen and I have on good authority that you are both in an all-girls alliance so for those reasons you are nominated. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.” Jake picks up the box and walks it back to the storage room. 

The houseguests all stand and move around the table to hug each other and the two nominees. Gwen and Jocelyn didn’t expect to be up or to be called out about their alliance. They thought that the Jazzagals have been pretty low-key but apparently not since it landed two of them on the block. 

*

The bedroom is pretty quiet this week since Ted is a have-not; it’s just David, Patrick, and Alexis. They all climb into their respective beds, craving that comfort and warmth. David missed this bed. Sleeping in the have-not room was _brutal_ on his entire body. He cuddles deep into the comforter, peeking out over the top to look over at Patrick. It’s too dark though but he can make out the faint outline of his head. 

David can hear Alexis’s breathing shallow as she falls deeper and deeper into sleep. He’s glad that she’s a heavy sleeper because he really wants Patrick to get into bed with him. He reaches his hand out to touch Patrick’s bed. He feels Patrick’s hand grab his and intertwine their fingers. He smiles to himself, allowing himself to smile freely and openly in the darkness of the room. He pulls at Patrick’s hand and whispers, “Come here,” so, _so_ softly. 

Patrick lets go of his hand and pushes his blankets off of him. As quietly as he can, he slips out of his bed and into David’s. David moves closer to the wall to let Patrick in and instantly revels in the comfort of Patrick’s arm wrapping around him and pulling him closer. David rests his head on Patrick’s chest before looking up and kissing him softly – he gets his chin but that’s fine, they can’t see anything. Patrick adjusts so that their next kiss is on the lips. They kiss slowly – _oh so slowly_ – trying not to be too loud since they aren’t alone. It feels really good to just kiss like this – slowly, lazily, but still full of passion and want. David’s hand is slowly moving up Patrick’s chest and to his neck, holding him in place.

They’re trying so hard not to moan out in pleasure – it feels so good to be this close and having time to get to know each other in this way, to feed into their desire for each other. 

Patrick pulls back slightly from the kiss, his breathing a little heavy. “I wish we were alone,” he whispers into his ear. 

“ _Mmm_ , what would happen if we were alone?” David whispers back.

Patrick kisses his neck, licking up a stripe to his earlobe and sucking it into his mouth. David clamps a hand over his mouth to stop the moan that tries to rip out of him. He can feel Patrick chuckling lowly against his skin as he continues to kiss his neck. 

“You can’t just _do things like that_.”

“I think I can…” Patrick whispers hotly into his ear as he does it again. 

David’s getting too into it and he’s sure Patrick can feel his hardness against his leg. Patrick’s arms are circled around him, pulling him closer to him. “You feel so good,” he whispers into his ear.

David feels hot all over having Patrick whisper right into his ear, especially when he says things like that. Patrick shifts them so he can hover over David, pressing his body into his. David feels Patrick’s own hardness press into him and it gets him even more turned on. He keeps his mouth shut as he feels Patrick kiss his neck and slowly push his t-shirt out of the way so he can kiss more of his skin. Patrick goes back up and kisses him on the lips, harder than before, slipping his tongue into his mouth and teasing him with it. 

They hear Alexis shift around in her bed and immediately stop what they’re doing. She doesn’t wake up, just got more comfortable, but it effectively stops them from going further. Patrick lies back down on the bed next to David, spooning him from behind, holding him close.

David smiles as he pushes back into him, cuddling closer. He places his hands over Patrick’s where they’re wrapped around him. Patrick kisses the side of his neck and whispers softly, “Goodnight, David.”

“Goodnight, Patrick,” David whispers back as he turns his head to accept one more kiss before they fall asleep in each other’s arms. 

DAY 24

It’s still dark in the room when Patrick wakes up. He’s spooning, David in his bed. He smiles before looking around, he can faintly see Alexis in her bed. He turns back to David and kisses his shoulder. 

David pushes back into him, snuggling closer. Patrick so badly wants to grab him and pull him in. He doesn’t, though. He knows Big Brother will turn the lights on at some point. 

Patrick kisses David’s shoulder again and he turns to look at him, half an eye open. “Huh?” he asks in the softest whisper. 

Patrick chuckles lightly, _he’s so damn cute_. “You have time to sleep,” he whispers before kissing his shoulder again. 

David kisses his forehead so softly before turning back around and sleeping. Patrick can’t help the grin from taking over his face. He slowly gets out of bed, covering David’s bed up as if he wasn’t also in there all night. As quietly as he can manage, he leaves the room, closing the door behind him. He passes through the hallway and into the kitchen. The sun is rising so Patrick knows it’s six in the morning. He goes to the washroom and starts about his day. 

Patrick’s always woken up early because of work so he’s used to it. In the Big Brother house though, it’s when he gets some peace and quiet. Living with this many other people, it’s hard to find time alone without it looking like you want to be alone. It’s his time to think and feel what he’s feeling. He makes some tea and heads outside. He sits on the sofa with a blanket over his shoulders and sips his tea. He watches the sunrise. 

Patrick is grateful to be in this house, playing this game because it led him to David. He smiles as he thinks of him, wishing they were outside of the house so they could openly be together. Being open about their relationship in this game would put a huge target on their back because above anyone else they have each other, will protect each other. Being aligned with anyone makes you a threat. Patrick doesn’t want them to leave - he wants to help David achieve his goal to win and open Rose Apothecary.

This time of the morning, when he’s alone, drinking tea, and thinking about him and David outside of here, it’s the only time he can think of it because inside the house, with everyone around, they can’t get caught. 

*

Later that morning, Jake pokes his head out of the doorway that leads to the diary room and calls out, “Hey everyone, it’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition!” 

The few people already seated on the sofas stay there as the other houseguests join them in the living room. Jake’s two nominees – Jocelyn and Gwen – take their seats on the chopping block. “Six players will compete in the Power of Veto competition. The Head of Household, the two nominees and three players picked at random. Will the two nominees join me up here?” Jake recites.

Gwen and Jocelyn stand and make their way to stand on either side of Jake. “As HoH, I will pick first,” Jake says before reaching his hand inside the box and pulling out a chip. “David,” he reads, showing them the chip. 

David stands and goes to stand with them. Gwen reaches her hand in the box next and pulls out a chip, “Rachel,” she reads before showing them.

Rachel grins, standing to go join them. Jocelyn picks last, pulling out a chip and reading, “Patrick.”

Patrick joins them and Jake says, “Big Brother will inform us when it is time for the competition. Good luck.” 

*

The six players change into their costumes - track clothes - before making their way outside. The yard is set up as a track race, white lines marking each player's section. There is a button on a podium in each section and one on the ground all the way on the other side. Each player gets into their own lanes as the host - Twyla - greets them near a table that has six bags in a row on top of it. “This competition is called ‘Ready, Set, Woah’ and here’s how it works. Players start behind a line and must stay in a running position, keeping your hand on the button. A screen in front of you will display words that are very similar to the word "Go". You must wait until the word "Go" appears and run across the finish, pushing the button.The last person to push the button is out of the competition. If you move your hand off the button before "Go" appears, you will get a false start and be out of the competition. In the event that every single person false starts each round, the last person standing will be the winner. This continues until one houseguest is left standing. Does everyone understand?” Twyla explains.

“Yes,” they say as they wait to be told when to get in position.

“Once you are eliminated, come and claim your prize, careful they might not all be good,” Twyla warns them. “Get into positions.”

The house guests get into a running position, placing a hand over the button on the ground. They all look up at the screen that is showing words that look like ‘Go’ or sound like ‘Go’ to try and mess them up. 

‘Go’ finally appears on the screen after a few minutes and they all take off and hit their button. 

“David, you buzzed in last, I’m sorry you have been eliminated,” Twyla tells him. He nods, breathing a little heavily. 

“I don’t do well with running,” he says as he makes his way to the table. 

“Please claim your sixth place prize,” Twyla tells him.

David stands behind the table so everyone can see when he reaches into the bag and pulls out the Power of Veto. “You have won the Power of Veto,” Twyla says.

“For now,” David mutters, knowing how these competitions always turn out. 

“Don’t get too attached because the other players have a chance to swap prizes with you.” 

David nods along as he puts the veto necklace around his neck, hoping the first person to trade with him has a reward and that everyone else will leave him alone, too concerned about trading for the veto. The chances are slim, but he doesn't want to think of the alternative yet.

Twyla tells them to get back into position as David sits on the stool near the table, behind where he claimed his prize. 

The players watch the screen and it’s a good three minutes until the word appears and they all take off and hit the buzzer. “Gwen, you buzzed in last. I’m sorry, you have been eliminated. Please claim your fifth place prize,” Twyla tells her.

Gwen goes next to David where the fifth place bag sits on the table. She reaches inside and pulls out a card, “Lock & Key,” she reads. 

“Gwen, you got the ‘Lock & Key’ punishment which means that for the next 24 hours you will be handcuffed to another player of your choosing,” Twyla informs her.

“I’m going to trade for the Power of Veto,” Gwen says, turning to David and handing him the card. He nods, knowing that would happen. He hands her the veto and takes the card from her. It's a punishment, but if he gets to choose to spend 24 hours handcuffed to Patrick… maybe this competition will turn out in his favor after all.

Everyone gets back into position and waits for the right word to appear. The word ‘Ho’ appears and Jocelyn false starts. “Oh Fudgesicle!” she exclaims, standing up. 

“Sorry Jocelyn, you had a false start and have been eliminated. Please claim your fourth place prize.”

Jocelyn’s disappointed that she’s out now. She goes to stand next to Gwen and reaches into her own bag and pulls out a card and reads, “5k.” 

“Jocelyn, you have won five thousand dollars,” Twyla tells her with a grin. “Would you like to keep it or swap with another player?

“I’d like to keep the money,” Jocelyn says, excited energy pooling out of her as she bounces in place.

The remaining three players get into position as the words appear on the screen. The words look like they are all blending together and Patrick pushes off his button on the wrong word. “Dammit,” he says as he stands back up. 

“Patrick, you had a false start. I’m sorry you have been eliminated. Please claim your third place prize.”

Patrick stands next to where Jocelyn is now sitting on her stool and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a card and reads, “2 week slop pass.”

“Congratulations, Patrick, you have won a 2 week slop pass that is valid starting next week.”

Patrick tells her that he’ll keep it, he would feel horrible to take away the money from Jocelyn, plus not going on slop is a good thing.

Rachel and Jake get into their positions as the words pop up on the screen. The word ‘Go’ appears and they take off; Jake buzzing in first. 

“Rachel, you buzzed in last, I’m sorry you have been eliminated. Please claim your second place prize.” 

Rachel stands next to Patrick and reaches into her bag. She pulls out a card and reads, “BB unitard.”

“Congratulations Rachel, you have won the BB unitard which you will wear for the entire week. Or you could trade with another player.”

Rachel looks around but already knows which one she wants. “I’ll trade with David for the ‘Lock & Key’ punishment.” She hands David her card and takes the one he gives her. 

“Jake, please claim your first place prize,” Twyla tells him.

Jake reaches into his bag and pulls out a card. He reads, “Trip for 2.”

“Congratulations Jake, you have won a trip for two anywhere you want to go courtesy of American Airlines. Or you could trade with another player.”

“I’m going to trade with the Power of Veto,” Jake tells her as he hands Gwen the card and takes the PoV necklace from her. 

“Congratulations Jake, you have won the Power of Veto!” Twyla announces. “Rachel, since you have the ‘Lock & Key’ punishment, please name the player you will be handcuffed to for 24 hours.”

“I’d like to be handcuffed to…” she trails off, looking at each person. “Patrick.”

David smacks the card against his hand when Twyla announces the end of the competition. “What the hell are they going to put me in?” he mutters to himself as he starts walking towards the house with everyone.

*

Patrick rushes into his bedroom and sits on the bed, he groans as he puts his head in his hands. How did this happen? Being handcuffed to Rachel for 24 hours is going to be a nightmare. He knows she will try and convince him they should get back together. He wishes he could just tell her the truth, but he knows this isn't the time or place to do it. He looks up as he feels someone sit on the bed, his eyes find David's. He looks worried and Patrick tries to offer him a smile but even he can tell he fails miserably. 

David reaches for his hand, squeezing it briefly. He can see how upset he is and the truth is he's annoyed with Rachel because she keeps hurting Patrick. And maybe she doesn't realize she's doing it because she just wants Patrick back, but by ignoring his feelings and now by forcing this 24 hour imprisonment on them, all she's doing is hurting him. "I'm sorry. If I could switch places with you I would."

Patrick offers a small smile, "Thank you David, it’s definitely not something I'm looking forward to, but it's only 24 hours. I'll just have to grin and bear it.”

David looks around before quickly leaning in and pressing his lips to Patrick's. "I'll be here and we'll get through it together." He pulls Patrick in for a hug. Patrick nods and leans in resting his head on David’s shoulder.

"Sorry about the unitard," Patrick says. "I wanted to give you the slop pass, but I thought that might be too much for just a friend to do. With Jake calling out the girls alliance, people are bound to start trying to figure out who's partnering up. We have to be careful about anyone finding out; I don’t want us to become targets."

"I get it," David says, rubbing a hand up and down Patrick's arm. "You made the right call."

Patrick cuddles in closer to David, kissing his neck. "Let's make the most out of what alone time we have left."

"I like the sound of that."

*

David finds Alexis and Stevie alone outside by the pool which is perfect because he has a plan to help Patrick with the Rachel punishment thing but he will need them to do it. He sits down next to them. "I need your help."

Stevie speaks first, "What's up?"

"Patrick and Rachel being handcuffed together for 24 hours is a terrible idea. She will spend the entire time trying to convince Patrick they should get back together even though he's made it clear he doesn't want to. So I thought we could take turns hanging out with them so she doesn't get the chance."

Alexis looks at him, "I don't mind helping David, but like why is this so important to you? I know you're friends…” She opens her mouth wide and slaps him on the arm, gasping before adding, “Oh my God, David! Are you two-”

“What?” David asks immediately. “No, we are just friends. He’s having a hard time with Rachel getting the hint and I told him I’d help him through it.”

Stevie scoffs and Alexis just hums. “If you say so.”

“Yes, I say so,” he groans. “So will you two help me or not?”

“Of course we will, right Stevie?” Alexis asks, nudging Stevie with her elbow.

“Ow,” she says, glaring at Alexis. “Yeah, whatever.”

David nods, pleased that they will help him and his secret boyf- showmance - Patrick, he’s happy that they will help Patrick.

*

Rachel lays on her bed, eyes closed while she waits to be called by the producers so she can be handcuffed to Patrick. This is the moment she's been waiting for, with them handcuffed together Patrick won't be able to run off and they can finally have the discussion she's been trying to have with him since they entered the house. She sits up and claps her hands together excitedly. She just knows by this time tomorrow she and Patrick will be together again. 

Switching one punishment for this one was a no brainer for her. Why would she want some dumb outfit for a whole week when she could be handcuffed to another player of her choice? Picking Patrick was the obvious answer and he didn’t look too pleased but his mind will change when they spend the next 24 hours together. She just knows it.

*

David finds Patrick in the washroom, drying off his hair with a towel. He notices his hair has some curl when wet and gets lost for a moment in thoughts of running his fingers through it. He shakes the pleasant image from his head, and smiles at Patrick.

"Hey, so I have a plan to help you." He proceeds to tell Patrick about his idea to keep him company as much as possible the next 24 hours. He also mentions getting Alexis and Stevie to help. "I know we can't be there the entire time but at least for most of the day you won't have to be alone with Rachel." 

Patrick smiles at him. “Thanks for doing this.”

“It’s nothing,” David says with a flip of his hand.

“It’s not nothing,” Patrick tells him. “How did you get them to help anyway? Did you tell them-”

“No, no, no. I mean, Alexis did ask but I shut it down.”

"That’s good. I trust them, but you can't be too safe,” Patrick says, stepping closer to him and touching the soft fabric of his sweater at his hip.

David smiles down at him, "We are careful but so you know… I'm very good at secret relationships."

Patrick frowns a bit, "David, you know that if we weren't in the house, I wouldn't want this to be a secret, right?"

Before David can respond, Big Brother calls for Patrick and Rachel to go to the diary room. Patrick looks at David, he definitely doesn't want to leave the conversation here but he has no choice. He takes a deep breath and steps away from David and turns to head down the hallway. 

He looks back at David, "We'll talk later, okay?"

David nods and Patrick smiles uncertainly before turning and heading down the hallway. 

He finds Rachel waiting for him outside the diary room. “The sooner we start, the sooner this is over, I guess,” he says, holding the door open for her.

She nudges his shoulder and offers him a smile, before grabbing his hand and leading him into the diary room. "Patty come on! Is spending 24 hours with me really that bad? We were together for 15 years!"

Patrick pulls his hand out of hers, sighing. "I just don't want to hurt you anymore, Rachel, and I don't want you to get the impression that us being in this situation changes anything, I don’t want to get back together and—"

Rachel interrupts him, "—I just want us to talk. We were together a long time, doesn't that at least give me the right to tell you why we belong together?"

Patrick closes his eyes trying to think of what he can say that won't hurt Rachel’s feelings.

“Okay,” Rachel says slowly. “Please don’t freak out.”

“What? Freak out? What would I freak out?” Patrick opens his eyes and follows her gaze to the couch. “Ffffff-”

*

David positions himself casually in one of the nomination chairs, pretending to examine his cuticles as he waits for Patrick and Rachel to leave the diary room.

Stevie sits down in the chair next to him, leaning in close to whisper. “Waiting for Patrick?”

“No,” David denies quickly and a little too strongly. “They’ll call me next for my unitard. And the quicker I get it on, the quicker I get to take it off.”

“Funny, that’s basically what I overheard Patrick say to Rachel before they went into the diary room.” Stevie smirks. “You two sure are rubbing off on each other.”

“Is there a reason you’re here?” David asks, frowning at her.

“I was going to take the first shift babysitting Patrick and Rachel.” Stevie grins slyly. “But I should’ve known you’d be here.”

“Again, just waiting for my unitard.” David looks back down at his cuticles.

“Uh-huh— oh, shit. You’re so fucked.” Stevie laughs. “Looking good, Patrick,” she calls out louder.

David looks up quickly and has to keep his mouth from dropping open. Patrick and Rachel are handcuffed together as expected, a couple feet of vine between their handcuffed hands giving them at least a little spot. But _expect the unexpected_ is right, because the last thing David expected to see was Patrick in tiny shorts covered in leaves. They’re much shorter than Patrick’s swimsuit, leaving more of Patrick’s body on display than David has seen yet. If it wasn’t for Rachel, beside Patrick in a matching leaf-covered bikini, David would be grateful for the punishment.

“He does look good, doesn’t he?” Rachel says, moving closer to Patrick, eliminating what little space was between them.

David is called into the diary room, saving him from having to answer. He averts his eyes as he walks past them, knowing his face will give away how he’s feeling.

*

These next 24 hours will not be easy and it proves correct as Patrick and Rachel head over to the sofa. After a few awkward moments of maneuvering their bodies, they sit down, Patrick as stiff as a board. Rachel can feel the uneasiness coming off of him in waves. 

Stevie chuckles from her seat. “That’s some punishment. It almost doesn’t seem fair that both of you have to suffer, huh?” When Rachel just sighs and closes her eyes, Stevie throws a wink in Patrick's direction and sits in a chair across from them. "How about them Yankees?"

Patrick lets out a small chuckle and thanks his lucky stars for David Rose. The happy thought ends when Rachel crosses her arms, pulling on his arm. “Gentle,” he mutters.

They hear a whistle and turn to see Jake entering the living room. “Very nice,” he says, looking them both over. “Too bad it’s only for twenty-four hours, huh?”

David’s head peaks out of the diary room, catching Stevie’s attention. “Planning on joining us?”

“It’s bad,” he says, frowning.

“I don’t think anything could look bad on you,” Jake tells him. “Let us see.”

“Okay,” David says reluctantly. He opens the door and steps out, waving pom-poms unenthusiastically. BBU is written across the chest of his blue unitard, a blue and purple skirt completing the look.

“See, told you.” Jake says, winking.

Patrick frowns, crossing his arms. “Payback,” he says when Rachel looks at him, covering his annoyance that Jake gets to openly flirt with David. It was bad enough watching it earlier, even knowing David wanted him and not Jake. At least then he was able to find moments alone with David to tell him everything he wished he could in front of everyone. 

“Can’t say I’m unhappy about your punishment.” Jake gets up to walk around David, getting a better look.

“I can’t wait for this week to be over,” Patrick mutters. It should be him reassuring David he looks good.

“It’s just 24 hours, Patrick!” Rachel replies.

But David catches Patrick’s eye and smiles sympathetically, understanding. It’s a small comfort to know David was thinking the same as him, but a comfort nonetheless. 

*

Patrick and Rachel shuffle into the bedroom, Alexis trailing behind them. “Oh, fun, a sleepover!” Alexis says. “We can continue our chat, Rachel!”

Rachel smiles apologetically, “Sorry, I think we’re going to stay in the other bedroom.”

Patrick panics, thinking of an excuse quickly. “We should probably stay in here. They only gave you a break from the have-not room because we have to sleep together—have to share a bed,” he corrects himself quickly, sneaking a glance at David, who’s sitting on his bed.

“I don’t think the bedroom matters,” Rachel argues, but shrugs. “Fine. I’ll be happy wherever we sleep.”

The four settle into their respective beds, David facing the wall to avoid looking at Patrick and Rachel. 

Patrick repositions himself in bed, trying to keep as much space between himself and Rachel. How did he go from getting to share a bed with David last night to being forced into sharing one with Rachel tonight? “Can you push over a little?” he asks as she tries to cuddle into his side.

“Patty,” she pouts. “I’ve missed this. Please?”

“Well, I haven’t.” Patrick pushes the comforter off of him, angrily. Standing up, he motions for her to get closer to the edge of the bed.

“Wha- why?” she asks, doing as he wants.

He reaches over her to grab one of the pillows. “So I can sleep on the floor,” he says, tugging on the vine connecting them for emphasis.

“You don’t have to do that,” Rachel protests.

“You’ve made it clear I do.”

“Not that this little soap opera isn’t totally fun,” Alexis says from her bed. “But do you think you can let the rest of us get our beauty sleep? David is totally going to have frown lines by the time he’s out of that unitard.”

“Lick rust, Alexis.”

She gets up and pulls the comforter off of one of the empty beds, delivering it to Patrick.” After he thanks her, she heads back to her bed saying, “You can thank me by being quiet.”

Patrick tries to get comfortable on the floor as silence envelops the room. After a few minutes, he hears David shuffling in his bed. David’s fingers dance over Patrick’s hand as he reaches closer to him. Patrick closes the gap as best he can, feeling less trapped, and squeezes David’s hand, silently thanking him.

He may literally be tied to Rachel right now, but he's never felt a stronger connection than his with David.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick endures the rest of his 24-hour punishment being handcuffed to his ex-girlfriend, Rachel.  
> David and Patrick take the next step in their relationship.  
> Will Jocelyn be able to persuade Jake from using the veto? And who will be evicted?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy humpday!  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter, lots of fun for this one too! 💖

DAY 25

David watches as Alexis talks to Patrick and Rachel. It’s nearing the end of their 24-hour punishment. Thankfully, Alexis and Stevie have kept their promise and barely left Patrick and Rachel alone. As soon as Rachel announced she wanted to share her punishment with Patrick, David knew it’d be difficult to see them together. But it’s even harder than he imagined.

Besides the constant presence of Rachel, he can barely keep his eyes off Patrick in that fig leaf outfit. It leaves very little to the imagination, and David is imagining an awful lot. He takes a deep breath, and tries to distract himself by thinking about women in business sneakers. That does the trick, and knowing that Patrick has Alexis with him, he excuses himself from the group and heads to the storage room. He sees his favorite chips and rips open the bag, stuffing his mouth with the salty goodness. He hears the door open behind him.

"I was wondering where you ran off to."

David quickly swallows the chips and turns to see Jake.

"Hi, I thought I was shame eating in private."

Jake looks confused. "What is shame eating?"

David waves off the question. "It's not important, what's up?"

Jake shrugs and leans back across the counter, crossing his arms. "Not much, just thought it'd be cool to get to know you better."

David frowns, "Um okay? What do you want to know?"

Jake walks over to David, and traces one of his hands with his index finger, "A little birdie in the house told me you were interested in getting to know me better, and I'd like to make that happen for us."

David shakes his head and pulls his hand back. _What the hell is going on?_ "Aren't you involved with Stevie?"

"Sure, but Stevie and I have an understanding. We’re having fun and are all about a good time. I have the HoH bedroom this week, and I really think I could have a good time with you in there—or if you want, all three of us could have a good time. You know, together."

David jerks his head back in shock. "I'm sorry, what?"

*

Patrick watches as David and then Jake head to the storage room. He doesn't like it. He trusts David, but Jake is very good looking and before David left the group he seemed upset. If Jake’s shameless flirting the past day is anything to go by, he’ll certainly try to give him a broad shoulder to cry on.

It’s been hard enough not reacting to Jake’s sudden need to be in close proximity to David. It’s been nearly impossible not reacting to David dressed in that ridiculous unitard that leaves very little to the imagination. It hugs his body in the most amazing way. He shifts on the couch; the last thing he needs is a hard on, especially in this ridiculous outfit. He thinks about spreadsheets for a few moments until his body calms down. He needs to know what is going on between David and Jake.

He quickly stands up, momentarily forgetting about Rachel, who lets out a startled gasp as she's jerked up off the couch. 

"Sorry, Rach. I think my blood sugar is crashing, and I need a snack."

He looks at Alexis who just smiles at him and does something with her eyes that he assumes is a wink. He smiles at her, charmed. He really does appreciate her helping out with his current situation. "Can we bring you anything back, Alexis?"

"You're so sweet to ask, Patrick, but I'm fine."

He nods and has to physically slow his walk down so he's not dragging Rachel behind him as they head to the storage room. Even so, Rachel still has to walk quickly to not be pulled by him.

"Jeez Patrick, I didn’t realize you had a thing with low blood sugar."

"What? Oh yeah, uh it's a pretty recent development."

He pulls open the door stopping short at what he sees. David and Jake are standing very close together, though David takes a step back when he sees Patrick and Rachel. 

Rachel smiles at them. "Hi, boys. I hope we aren't interrupting anything?"

Patrick frowns at Rachel before turning back to David and Jake. He watches as David shakes his head. His eyes darting between him and Jake. "No, of course not, what- why would you ask that?"

Patrick watches as Rachel just shrugs and says, "No reason, you both just look cozy."

Before anyone can speak, the producers ask Jake to head to the diary room. He smiles at the group, "A Head of Household's job is never done."

He smiles at Rachel and Patrick before turning back to David, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Patrick feels like he's buffering as he watches Jake pull away. Jake throws a wink at Rachel. "Thanks for the heads up, Red," he says before sauntering out of the room.

Patrick is back online and turns to look at Rachel. "What heads up?"

Rachel’s eyes widen before she schools her emotions. “I just told him which shower had the best water pressure,” she says, trying for nonchalance. 

Patrick definitely doesn't believe her but before he can question her, David’s voice cuts through. "There was definitely nothing going on between me and Jake."

Rachel smiles at him. "You don't owe us any explanations, David, and if you want the truth, I think the two of you look _very_ good together. People used to always tell Patty and me how perfect we looked together."

Patrick frowns at Rachel. What is she doing? He glances at David, who looks upset. All he wants to do is kiss the frown on his face until his beautiful smile appears but he can't because he's fucking handcuffed to his ex-girlfriend at the moment.

“But you’re broken up, so looking good together clearly isn’t everything. And just like you two didn’t work out, neither would me and Jake.” His shrug is casual, but Patrick can see the uneasiness etched on David’s face as he glances between Patrick and Rachel, like he wants to stay for Patrick but also needs to leave the situation. 

Patrick throws him a lifeline. "David, would you mind giving me a moment with Rachel?"

David nods and quickly leaves. As soon as the door closes behind him, Rachel mutters under her breath. “Well, that was uncalled for.”

" _T_ _hat_ was uncalled for? Rachel, what about you?" 

"What do you mean?" Rachel asks defensively.

"That business with David and Jake?"

"I just think they would look good together, and what's the harm in having a little fun while they are in the house. They're both unattached, right?"

Patrick wants nothing more than to not be in this room with Rachel. She's obviously trying to get a reaction out of him. He can't help but wonder what she knows but honestly this is not a conversation to have while they are handcuffed together.

"I have no idea what their relationship statuses are, but David seemed uncomfortable so maybe just let it go."

Rachel just nods and steps closer to Patrick. "I'm glad we are alone so we can talk. Being able to spend time together like this has been nice. I've missed you, Patty."

Patrick closes his eyes and rubs his free hand through his hair. He can't keep having this conversation over and over. "Rachel, I know you thought that by choosing this punishment with me that it would change things but it doesn't. I don't feel that way about you anymore, or if I ever really did-" He stops talking as he realizes what he said. He's thought that for a while but he definitely didn't mean to blurt that out to Rachel. He watches as tears fill her eyes. 

"You never loved me?

"Rach-"

Before he can answer her the door opens and Ted walks in. He sees the looks on their faces and steps back, "Hey guys, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Rachel shakes her head and quickly wipes her eyes. "You're not, we were just heading out."

She gives Patrick a sad look before leading them out of the room.

*

When he hears Big Brother call for Patrick and Rachel to head to the diary room, David knows their 24 hours are officially up. From the sofa, he watches them walk to the diary room together. Rachel looks sad and Patrick looks like he doesn’t know what to do. A few minutes later, he sees them exit, separated but still in the costumes. They go straight for the bedrooms—Patrick to his and Rachel to hers—to change. David has to admit that part of him will miss seeing the fig leaf outfit because Patrick definitely wears it well, but at the same time he feels relieved that Patrick is no longer dressed like that while attached to Rachel. He waits a few minutes before heading to the bedroom, trying not to make it obvious that he wants to spend time with Patrick.

They need to talk because he definitely needs to make it clear that he doesn't want Jake. Plus he has a feeling that Rachel was the ‘mastermind’ behind telling Jake that David was into him and that's definitely not good. He's not sure how to bring that up with Patrick, though, because even though Patrick isn't into Rachel anymore, that definitely doesn't erase 15 years of loving and caring about her. 

David passes by the bedroom Rachel sleeps in but she’s not there, probably in the bathroom changing. He takes a deep breath and walks into the bedroom he and Patrick have been sleeping in. He frowns when he sees Patrick laid out on his bed with his right arm thrown over his face, covering his eyes. He quietly sits down on the bed next to him and after a moment's hesitation, places his hand on Patrick’s leg, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"Are you okay?"

Patrick lets out a bitter laugh and lifts his arm and David is surprised to see tears in his eyes. David frowns and immediately pulls Patrick up and into a hug. "Hey, hey, what's going on? Talk to me."

Patrick pulls back and wipes his eyes. "Sorry, the last 24 hours have really sucked. Being attached to Rachel and having to explain over and over again that I don’t want to get back together was horrible. Plus I think I just broke her heart by saying that I wasn’t actually ever in love with her. I couldn’t talk to her because Ted came in and then we got this punishment off. On top of that, I'm pretty sure she's trying to get Jake to sleep with you. All while wearing the world's skimpiest outfit while also seeing Jake flirt with you incessantly was a lot. He kissed you."

David frowns, his mind working through all the information Patrick just emotionally spewed at him. They need to talk about the Rachel stuff but Patrick can't possibly think he's interested in Jake? The guy is definitely hot but David does not want any of that. That kiss was nothing, which he tells Patrick. "It was just a kiss on the cheek. Patrick, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to Jake. Trust me, he's harmless."

He watches as Patrick shrugs his shoulders. "Is he? I mean he's very attractive and tall and you definitely look good together. He obviously knows who he is and what and who he wants. I wouldn’t blame you for being interested. I'm just a business guy who’s just figuring out who he is, hell David, I never even kissed a guy before meeting you-” He stops talking as David stands up and starts pacing the room.

"You are more than just a numbers guy, Patrick. You're smart and funny and it's ridiculous that you don't know how beautiful you are. Jake may be attractive but I'm not interested in him at all. I mean, the man asked me to join him and Stevie in the HoH room!"

"What? What did you say?"

"Oh my God, no, I said no. I don’t want any of that.” He gestures towards the door, “I just want you. You think you had a hard 24 hours? What about me? I have to wear this _hideous_ unitard, which is very chafing— and not in a good way. It’s just all incorrect, Patrick. And then I have to see you and all your well-defined muscles handcuffed to your beautiful ex-girlfriend for 24 hours wearing nothing but fucking fig leaves. All I could think of was taking my boyfriend out of the aforementioned fig leaves and showing him the real Garden of Eden." He stops talking as he realizes what he said. 

His hopes that Patrick didn’t hear it are shattered when he sees Patrick’s smile. "What did you say?"

David acts dumb, “I said you looked _really_ good in your fig leaf thing,” waving his hand to Patrick’s body.

Patrick smiles at him knowingly. “I think you said _your boyfriend_ looks really good in the punishment outfit?” he says as a question. 

David rolls his eyes. “Something like that,” he says a little nervously, not sure if Patrick’s okay with that. 

Patrick smiles and reaches out for him, “Come here.” David smiles to himself softly as he takes the final steps towards him. Patrick pulls him into his lap and when David puts his arm around his shoulders, he says, “I have a boyfriend and he looks very cute in his blue unitard."

David smiles, rolling his eyes slightly at the unitard comment. “Unitards are incorrect Patrick.” And then Patrick’s lips are on his and David doesn't give a flying fuck about the unitard or fig leaves or throuples. All he cares about is the feeling of his boyfriend's lips on his. 

David wraps his arms tighter around Patrick, holding him close. He can feel Patrick’s hands sliding up his back, the unitard making it easy. He runs his nails back down his back, his tongue slipping into his mouth. David moans into it, pushing down more on Patrick’s lap. 

“ _Fff- David_ ,” Patrick moans out, pulling away from the kiss, David’s teeth clamped on them. He pulls back, eyeing him. 

He leans back in, kissing him once softly on the lips before kissing his neck. David sucks on his neck slightly teasing him. He licks and teases him, nips him softly. David pulls back and is about to say something when they hear Stevie saying, "Where’s David?" to not make it look like she’s going to check on them or have an alliance meeting. 

David hops off Patrick's lap and onto his bed, trying to not look like he was just making out with his boyfriend. Stevie makes her way to the bedroom, sliding the door open. She steps in, looking at both of them. David feels like he’s awkwardly smiling at her. “Hi,” he says before looking over at Patrick. He frowns when he notices a small red mark on his neck. 

Stevie just smirks as she takes them both in. "What’s going on guys?"

Patrick shrugs, trying to be nonchalant but not really pulling it off.

David looks over at him, rolling his eyes slightly that he's the one that's going to have to answer her. He says, "We were just talking about how relieved Patrick is to be out of that atrocious fig leaf outfit."

Stevie nods. She looks at Patrick and tilts her head noticing his neck. "What's that on your neck? Kinda looks like a little sunburn?"

Patrick frowns and stands to go look in the mirror. He rubs at the mark. "Huh. Yeah, it's probably a brush burn from the fake leaves on the handcuffs. I must've slept on them last night."

Stevie nods. "That seems reasonable. Do you wanna play pool?”

David nods quickly, he'll do almost anything to escape this conversation. They will definitely have to be more careful in the future.

He trusts Stevie but he also doesn’t want her to think that he and Patrick have a final two, which they do. But he also has one with her. He doesn’t want to lie to her about that. Keeping a showmance a secret is a strategy move they need to make. 

*

Walking out of the room, they notice a lump in one of the beds. Patrick knows it’s Rachel and he feels horrible. She wants to be alone so they’ll leave her. 

Outside, the sun has set, and he and Stevie head to the pool table to have a game. David goes to sit on the sofa where Mutt, Alexis, Ted, and Ray are chatting. “Hey.” He nods his head, sitting where Ted moved closer to Alexis to let him sit.

They’re not talking game, just random stuff about life. David listens while every so often his attention wanders over to Patrick playing pool. Mutt gets up after a few moments and goes over to Stevie and Patrick, hanging around them presumably to play winner. 

“How are you liking your costume, David?” Ray asks him, drawing his attention back to the other people sitting near him.

He fake smiles at him. “It’s fucking awful, Ray,” he answers, making Alexis snort. “I can’t wait to take this off, I hate it.”

“I think it looks good,” Jake says, joining their circle, coming out of fucking nowhere. 

David flounders. He rolls his eyes. “It’s not in my aesthetic.”

Jake chuckles, sitting down in the seat Mutt vacated across from him in the small love-seat. “It’s definitely not your aesthetic but you pull it off,” he flirts openly.

“You do wear it very well, David,” Ray says, a grin on his face as always. 

“See,” Jake teases, hand outstretched towards where Ray’s sitting on the opposite end of the sofa from David. He smirks at him.

David can’t help but feel charmed by him. He laughs, “You’re full of shit,” he says making Jake laugh too. “How the hell did I even get stuck with this?” he groans. 

*

Patrick loves seeing David looking over at him from the sofa. He catches his eye and smiles at him softly. Mutt comes over and asks to play the winner. The more he catches David looking at him, the more Patrick wants to go sit over there with him.

He shoots his next shot, focusing on the game. Patrick hears the door slide open as he waits for Stevie to take her shot and he reflexively looks over, seeing Jake walk out and towards the sofa. 

Patrick is next so he lines up his shot, trying not to think about Jake now sitting there with David, probably ogling him again since he does look too good in that unitard. _How does that even happen?_ He shoots and misses, not caring. As Stevie takes her shot, he watches them talk, sees them both laughing. 

Patrick takes a few more minutes to lose the game so Mutt can play Stevie. He walks over to the sofa and says, “Hey,” making his way through to sit on the other side of Alexis where Ray seemed to have vacated at some point—he was too focused on David and Jake to notice. 

David smiles at him softly and Patrick feels himself melt inside. David is his boyfriend. They said that word, he should be able to relax. 

“You know who else looked really good?” Jake asks, looking over at him and pointing. “This guy in that weird leaf thing. Very hot.”

Patrick feels himself blushing and sees David watching him with a soft look on his face. Ted whistles and Alexis claps. “Yes, Patrick, little hottie boom body,” she says.

Patrick chuckles. “Thank you,” he says. “It was not a fun costume, though. Not like David’s. You must have a lot of mobility in that, huh?” he teases him, biting his bottom lip slightly.

David gives him a look and nods his head. “Mhm,” he hums. “It’s also hideous. Yours was definitely _hot_.”

Patrick wishes they were alone before Jake says to David, “You do look hot, though.”

*

David rolls his eyes at him. “Thank you,” he says, taking the compliment. He looks back at Patrick and hopes that he knows he likes him and doesn’t want any of what Jake’s putting down. Patrick’s the only one he wants to be with. 

They don’t stay out there much longer. David decides to go in when Ted says he’s heading in. He goes to start getting ready for bed. He hopes he can have a talk with Patrick before bed. 

He’s doing his skin care routine—step seven—when Patrick walks into the bathroom. “Hi,” he says when he leans his hip against the counter watching him.

“Hi,” Patrick says softly.

“I hope you know that-” David starts to say.

Patrick smiles and nods. “I know,” he says, stopping him. “It just sucks not being able to say anything-”

“I know,” David nods. “Um,” he shakes his head, “What happened earlier with Rachel? You said you almost told her something?”

Patrick nods, “Yeah, after you left the storage room we talked and I accidentally said something like _I don't feel that way about you anymore, or if I ever really did_ , but then Ted came in and she pulled me out of the room then we got the punishment off. She went to bed, I guess. She doesn’t seem to want to talk just yet,” he explains.

“Yikes,” David says, making a face. “No kidding. You’ve been trying to tell her this whole time, I know you feel bad but she should have listened to you earlier.”

“I do love her, I just - I’m not _in love_ with her. Not how she needs and definitely not how I can give her. That’s been proven,” he says. 

“Just give her space. Ask to talk to her tomorrow,” David offers. 

“Yeah, I will.” Patrick leans back and looks out the room. He doesn’t see anyone so he looks back at David and leans him. He kisses him softly on the lips, lingering just slightly before pulling away like nothing happened. “See you in there,” he says before leaving the room. 

David finishes what he was doing before making his way to the bedroom. Patrick’s changed and passing by him, squeezing his arm lightly as he now heads to the washroom. 

*

In the darkness of the room, everyone—Alexis, David, and Patrick—settled in, David scoots to the edge of his bed and reaches his hand out. He hears Patrick shift, moving closer as he reaches to hold his fingers. It’s not for long but it feels good, comforting, like they aren’t alone, they have each other. 

DAY 26

It's morning and the Jazzagals are sitting outside on the sofa, drinking their coffee or tea, just having finished breakfast. Today’s the Power of Veto ceremony and Jocelyn and Gwen know Jake isn’t going to take one of them down and nominate a third person. He’s made it clear who his target is – their alliance. He didn’t ask to speak to either of them but they haven’t gone to him either. 

Jocelyn’s planning on talking to him to maybe try to persuade him to put up a bigger target to backdoor but she knows it’s pretty rare that it would happen. She feels bad about campaigning against her friend but she wants to play the game and she can’t leave just yet. She’s been really homesick ever since her HoH win. Seeing pictures of Roland and Rollie Jr., getting the letter from Roland, hearing how much they love her and are rooting for her. It’s just all getting to her and making her really want to push to stay this week. They are the only reason she is trying so hard, and her other son, Mutt. They reconnected and getting this time in here with him has been the greatest gift of all. No amount of prize money could change that.

*

Patrick wakes up feeling just as awful for what he almost said to Rachel and how she took it. He wanted to talk to her about it last night but when he tried to ask her to talk she asked to be left alone. She went to her room and he didn’t see her leave. He needs to have a talk with her. Hopefully she’ll be ready today. 

He walks outside, looking for her. Patrick finds her by the pool, sitting with her feet in. He walks over to her and says, “Hey.”

She looks up at him before looking back down. “Hi,” she says softly. 

“Can we talk?” 

“Talk,” she tells him with a shrug.

Patrick sighs. “Right here. Okay.” He sits down, crossing his legs and facing her. “I’m so sorry about yesterday, that isn’t what I said.”

“You didn’t say you never loved me?”

“Rachel, you know I loved you, you mean a lot to me. The way you need me to love you is not something I can or have ever been able to do,” he tries to explain it to her without saying that he’s with David. 

He wishes he could tell her everything; he knows it will make a difference in her accepting—and understanding why—they’ll never get back together. But for now, inside the game, revealing what he was with David is too risky. He doesn’t want to give her, or anyone, more of a reason to target them - especially David.

“What does that even mean, Patrick? We were together for such a long time. You weren’t in love with me for any of it?” He knows she’s starting to cry because he can hear it in her voice and he feels even worse.

“I loved you throughout but no, I was not _in love_ with you, not how you deserve.”

Rachel nods once, tears slipping down her cheeks past her sunglasses. She wipes at them, sighing. “What made you realize this?” 

Patrick feels like she’s asking _Did David make you realize this?_ Did Rachel tell Jake that David likes him to prove something? He can’t tell her that David’s the reason. It’ll give her more of a reason to target David. 

“It’s not one thing, Rachel. We were never right together. We broke up a lot. I love you, you’re the best person I know. This just isn’t it for us,” he tells her.

She nods. “Can I be left alone please? I just need to -”

“Yeah, of course,” he reaches out, squeezing her arm. “You mean a lot to me, Rach.”

She nods again as he stands and leaves her alone. Walking away and back inside the house. 

*

Jocelyn doesn’t have much time to speak with Jake before the PoV meeting so when she heads inside and sees that he’s up and ready for the day she asks him, “Can I talk to you?”

“Of course,” he tells her. He leads her upstairs to his HoH room and closes the door behind them.

They both sit – Jake on the edge of the bed and Jocelyn on the sofa. “What’s up?”

“So I know there is a very low chance of you using the PoV today,” Jocelyn begins. “But – I was hoping to maybe entice you into using it on me and possibly getting rid of a bigger threat?”

“Why do you not think that you and Gwen are big threats?” Jake asks, propping his chin in his hand.

Jocelyn laughs. “There are way bigger threats in this house.”

“Like?”

Jocelyn feels awful for this but if it could save her game… “Ted? He’s a threat on all counts. He’s physically good, mentally and socially.”

Jake’s face isn’t giving her much to work with; all he’s doing is nodding. “Ted used the veto on me last week,” he mentions.

“He did,” Jocelyn nods. “He also nominated you.”

“Yeah.”

“So why not get him out before he gets you out?” Jocelyn tells him. She needs him to use it so her and Gwen have a chance of staying. 

Jake knows what he wants to do but she is making valid points. At some point Ted could come after him. He’s just not really sure that he’s on Ted’s radar yet. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” he tells her. 

*

The houseguests are sitting outside on the sofa when Jake pokes his head out. “Hey guys, it’s time for the Power of Veto ceremony.”

They gather in the living room. Jake stands behind the PoV box where it sits on the coffee table. He faces his housemates and the two nominees. “This is the Veto meeting. I nominated both Gwen and Jocelyn, and I won the power to veto one of those nominations and put up a replacement. I have decided not to use the Power of Veto. I nominated you both, this didn’t change that decision. This veto meeting is adjourned,” he finishes it, quick and easy. He doesn’t need to hear what they have to say - he’s heard enough. He puts the veto necklace in the box and shuts it before bringing it to the storage room.

“Wow,” David mutters to Alexis where they stand and start hugging people. He doesn’t like to hug but it’s a part of the game for some reason. Also, it’s a chance to hug Patrick in front of everyone without it being a thing. 

*

After dinner, David motions for Patrick to follow him outside. Alexis and Ted are waiting for them by the pool, David already having cornered Alexis earlier to set up the alliance meeting. “Okay,” he starts once they’re all sitting close enough to hear each other without having to talk loud but far enough that it doesn’t look like they’re strategizing. “We have two options. Either we vote out Gwen like Jake wants or we start making moves and vote to evict Jocelyn.”

“Would we even have enough votes for that?” Patrick asks.

“Probably not,” David concedes. “But we can probably force a tie.” He starts listing the votes, counting them off on his fingers. “Mutt is obviously going to vote to keep his mother. And Ray will do a revenge vote against Gwen for Bob. Rachel is probably going to do whatever Jake wants to keep him happy.”

“I think Ronnie and Twyla are leaning toward keeping Jocelyn,” Alexis adds.

“I’m sure I can get Stevie to vote however we want once I tell her about Jake’s proposition.” David shudders.

“Um, what?” Alexis asks, sitting up straighter in interest. “What proposition, David?”

Ignoring his sister, David continues, “That’s five against five and Jake has to break the tie. And if Twyla or Ronnie happen to vote the other way, then Jocelyn goes home, and Gwen and Jake are left to go after each other.” He’d rather have Jocelyn in the house than Gwen, but it’s time for game play.

“Are you sure?” Ted asks, unsure. “What if Jake gets mad?”

David shrugs. “He can’t get HoH. So what if he spends the week trying to figure out who voted how.”

“And what if Jocelyn wins?” Patrick questions. “Or Mutt? Even if Jake is their main target, any of us could end up on the block. Or worse, he could get himself off and two of us could be up on the block.”

“It’s week four,” David says, as if that’s enough of an explanation. When everyone stares at him blankly, he adds, “There’s only a few floaters left. And a couple floaters always miraculously make it to jury or finale night.” If he has his way, Rachel will be gone long before then. “It’s going to start being alliances against alliances, and we need to make sure ours stays in power. Anyway, we can’t have another unanimous eviction and get sucked into the house vote mentality. Those seasons are the _worst_.”

“You’re the expert,” Patrick says. “I trust you.”

Alexis and Ted voice their agreement, and David blushes faintly under their praise. 

DAY 29

“Good evening!” Moira cries out as the broadcast starts. “What an eventful week we’ve had. Jake won HoH _and_ the veto and set his eyes on Gwen. My dear first-born doesn’t plan to make it an easy eviction for him, however. But what really caused a stir were some...fig leaves? And a showmance turned into something more.” After a recap video plays, she brings her attention to the houseguests to ask them about their week.

“Patrick, we saw a new side of you this week,” Moira says. “A lot of you, in fact.”

The houseguests let out playful hoots as video of Patrick and Rachel in their punishment outfits plays on the screen.

“Yeah,” Patrick says, blushing. “Definitely wasn’t an enjoyable punishment but at least it was only 24 hours.”

Beside Patrick, Stevie tries to hold back a snicker but fails. “What kind of enjoyable punishments are you into?” she asks under her breath, getting the attention of David on her other side.

Patrick’s blush deepens, and he avoids David’s questioning gaze.

When it’s time for the vote to begin, Moira asks the nominees to make their speeches. “Jocelyn, you may begin.”

Jocelyn stands. “Hi, Rollie! I love you!” She turns her attention to her fellow houseguests. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of you. Even though I’ve already gotten more than I was expecting this summer,” she looks at Mutt. “I feel like my time here really isn’t over. I hope you’ll let me continue to play this game with you.”

“Thank you, Jocelyn. Gwen?”

"I just want to take this opportunity to thank CBS and Big Brother for giving me this opportunity. I have no ill will against Jocelyn, she is a dear friend. With that being said, it is your vote and Jake cannot play in the next HoH competition so vote for who you think would help your game more. Thank you," Gwen says before sitting back down.

“Thank you both. One at a time, you will head to the diary room to cast your vote. Jocelyn and Gwen, you will not be allowed to vote. Jake, as Head of Household, you can only vote in the event of a tie.” Moira begins to call the houseguests into the diary room to cast their votes. 

Once all the votes are cast, she gathers their attention again. “Houseguests, the votes are in. The evicted houseguest must say their goodbyes, gather her belongings and walk out the front door,” Moira recites. “It appears we have a tie! Jake, please stand and face your fellow housemates and vote for who you would like to evict from the Big Brother house, Jocelyn or Gwen.”

Jake nods, not fazed by the tie. “Gwen, you shouldn’t have decided to come after me. I’m going to have to evict you.”

As everyone starts hugging each other, Patrick leans in close to David. “Jake didn’t look surprised. Do you think he knew?” he whispers in his ear.

David shakes his head. “I think he’s just that easy going. He got what he wanted.”

*

“Let’s find out who our next HoH will be,” Moira says, turning to the monitor after her interview with Gwen. “Houseguests, the power is up for grabs. Jake, as outgoing Head of Household, you are not eligible to compete.”

The camera pans out, revealing to the audience that the backyard has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Each houseguest has their own lane with a small inflatable pool full of liquid at one end and two snowmen with clear plastic heads at the other end.

“This competition is called Sloppy the Snowman, and here’s how it works. On my go, and not a second earlier, you’ll fill up your cup with as much liquid as you can and transfer it across the yard to your snowman. As the head of your snowman fills, a piece of coal will rise. The first houseguest to fill your snowman to the point where you can remove your piece of coal, will be the new HoH," Moira explains. “But there’s more at stake than just HoH. There is a little _bébé_ snowman that might draw your attention away from your HoH snowman. Be the first to fill the _bébé_ snowman and remove the coal, and you’ll get $5,000. Once the new HoH has been crowned, the game is over and the reward is no longer in play. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes, Moira,” the houseguests shout.

“Fantastic. Get on your mark, get set, go!” Moira claps as the houseguests start to shuffle carefully down their slippery lanes. After a couple minutes of watching the houseguests struggle, she turns back to the audience. 

“How many times will poor David fall? Will that handsome beau of his rush to his side? And most importantly, who will be our new HoH? All will be revealed during our next episode.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the HoH and who will they nominate for eviction?  
> David gets his punishment costume off and he and his showmance get closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter is jam packed with some good fun, we hope you like it! 💖

DAY 29 

David empties the liquid of his cup into his snowman’s head and takes a moment to look at everyone else’s snowmen. Ray, Jocelyn, and Twyla, after realizing early on they wouldn’t win the Head of Household competition, began filling their smaller snowmen for the cash prize. All three of them are neck-in-neck, Ray finding success sitting and scooting down his lane.

In the lane next to him, Patrick’s in the lead with more than half of his snowman head full. But Mutt and Alexis are close behind him. Patrick winning is the best possible outcome for David. He trusts him completely and knows their final two deal is Patrick’s priority. He pushes aside the little bubble of guilt that pops up when he thinks about how he made a final two deal with Stevie first.

David starts to slowly make his way back to the other end of his lane. _This competition is a lot more fun to watch than play_ , he thinks as he nearly falls. He’s glad he’s not the only one who keeps falling down. He’s seen Ronnie get knocked down quite a bit, Rachel too. 

*

“How are you so good at this?” Ted asks Alexis as they cross paths, him headed to his snowman and Alexis on her way to refilling her cup.

“This is easy after running in heels to escape the Yakuza.” 

“What?” Ted slips, startled by Alexis’ story, and falls on his butt. “This is _snow_ fun,” he mutters before getting up carefully. 

Alexis giggles as she passes him again. “Don’t worry,” she says over her shoulder. “I’ll kiss it better later.”

Ted takes longer than necessary to steady himself. He doesn’t want to win, but he doesn’t want to completely throw the competition either. Miguel’s gone, so he doesn’t have a target in mind, and with Alexis and Patrick doing so well, there’s a good chance their alliance will be in power this week. Besides, it’ll be nice for Alexis to get a win, especially if that means they get the HoH room to themselves again.

*

Patrick has been excited about this competition since David described it to him when going over frequently played competitions. So far his experience playing hockey has helped him stay upright. Other than a couple minor falls early on, he hasn’t had much trouble—unlike a lot of the other houseguests.

Sliding to a stop at his bucket, he sneaks a look over at David. He winces as David loses his balance and falls to his knees. “Are you okay?” he calls out. 

David waves off his concern as he gets up and slowly heads back toward his bucket. 

Patrick frowns and shoves aside the urge to go to David’s side to help him up. At first he was happy to be placed in the lane next to David, but after seeing him fall the first time, he realized how hard it’d be to concentrate on winning instead of worrying about him.

Filling his cup quickly, he makes his way back to his snowman. He’s still in the lead, but Mutt is close and he can’t let him win. Hopefully, Mutt has his eyes on getting Jake out for nominating Jocelyn last week, but any of his alliance members could end up as collateral damage because of how they voted. 

He’s going to win so he can keep his alliance safe.

*

“It looks like Jocelyn is about to pull out her piece of coal,” Jake calls out. “Or not,” he adds with a laugh, watching her struggle.

“Fiddlesticks,” Jocelyn curses, the coal just out of reach. 

“You should go back for more liquid,” Ronnie tells her from the next lane.

“No, I almost have it!”

“And here comes Twyla. Maybe she’ll have better luck.”

Twyla empties the last of her liquid into the snowman’s head and cries out triumphantly when the piece of coal rises up.

“The $5,000 prize is now out of play,” Jake announces. “Everyone will have to fill up their large snowman. Congratulations, Twyla. I can think of some fun ways to spend that money.”

“Oh, thanks. But I think I’ll just buy my mom the jet ski she’s been talking about.”

*

Ronnie curses under her breath as she watches Mutt and Patrick race to their snowmen. Both are close to finishing 

Under no circumstances does she want Patrick to win. She can’t put her finger on it, but there’s something about him that bothers her. He’s the last person she wants to suck up to. Mutt winning is definitely the better option. He’ll want to keep his mother safe, and hopefully by extension, the rest of the Jazzagals. Between Jake outing the alliance last week, the loss of Gwen, and Jocelyn and Twyla going for the money instead of the HoH win, they’re going to need all the help they can get.

Mutt rushes the last bit, liquid spilling from his cup before he has the chance to fill his snowman. Patrick moves slower, weary of losing any of his own liquid. He empties his full cup into his snowman, the piece of coal floating to the top easily while Mutt is still attempting to pull his out.

“Congratulations, Patrick!” Jake declares as Patrick raises his coal.

Ronnie shakes her head in disbelief. “This is a disaster.”

*

Alexis is first to hug Patrick after Jake hands over the HoH key. “Congrats, Button!”

“Thanks, Alexis.” He accepts pats on the back from Ted, Mutt, and Stevie, waiting patiently for David to approach.

“Congratulations.” David’s smile betrays how excited he is over Patrick’s win. His hug is too brief for Patrick, but he knows that just because they have the power this week that doesn’t mean it’s smart to let their guard down.

“Don’t say that until you see what snacks I get,” Patrick teases him. “Or worse, my music.”

“It’s going to be all granola bars and indie bands I’ve never heard of, isn’t it?” David shudders.

“I look forward to broadening your horizons.”

“Great job, Patty!” Rachel says, interrupting them by pulling on Patrick’s arm. “Can we get a second later?”

“Yeah.” Patrick sighs. “Everyone will have a chance to talk to me.” 

“Oh, goody,” Ray says, joining them. “I’m so glad you have an open door policy.”

“Uh, I don’t think that’s quite what I said, Ray.” Patrick turns back to David to see he stepped aside to talk to Stevie. If there’s one thing that comes out of this week, it’s creative ways to get David alone in the HoH room without suspicion.

DAY 30

Yesterday’s HoH competition is doing a number on Patrick’s legs this morning. Being in power feels really good though, it beats the soreness radiating throughout his body. Getting a letter from his mom is his favorite thing about winning the competition. Reading her words and seeing her and his dad’s encouragement in writing to keep going and that he’s doing really well - it means a lot to him and it really does push him to continue and not lose focus. The goodies, the private room and bathroom, the iPod with his music choices, all of that is great, but the feeling of complete safety for himself and his teammates, now that’s something he didn’t realize he was missing so badly. Knowing that what he decides - with input from his alliance members - what’s best for his game long term will be what happens this week - well, hopefully. 

Patrick’s main target is Jake. He needs him out of the game. Knowing that Rachel planted some seed to him about David - just seeing him be able to flirt so openly and freely with David doesn’t sit well with him, even if they did establish their relationship - _boyfriend!_ It’s not only for that reason that he wants Jake out. Jake is very strong physically and socially - he’s friendly with everyone, he proved that he can win competitions. He is definitely someone who can win this game. He wants to put him up but he’s not sure if Jake is a player that needs to be backdoored - stripping away his chance at playing for safety in the veto competition. He might still get picked to play though. If he’s going to take the shot, Patrick thinks he may as well just put him up right away. He definitely needs to talk to David before he talks to anyone else or makes any concrete decisions.

*

“I’ve never been so sore in my entire life,” David complains as he maneuvers his legs to lay down on the sofa outside.

Stevie scoffs. “I find that hard to believe.”

David glares at her. “Mmm, eat glass,” he tells her, making her laugh. They’re hanging out in the backyard after breakfast, not yet wanting any exposure to the sun, but also not wanting to hang out inside. 

“What’s the plan for this week?” she asks him after a few moments. It’s just the two of them sitting on the sofa - Alexis lounging in the sun with Twyla, Jake and Mutt working out, with everyone else inside. 

David shifts slightly so he can turn to face her from where he’s lying down. “Not sure, we haven’t talked yet. He’s probably already started having pre-nom talks so we’ll chat soon,” he tells her. He does know that Patrick has it out for Jake and they have toyed with the idea of getting rid of him but he won’t tell Stevie that just yet, not until he knows for sure what Patrick wants to do this week. Stevie is an important part of their alliance, they made this final three on day one, he definitely wants her on board but he doesn’t see any way she will be. Jake’s a number for her and a shield. Not to mention, her showmance with him, even if she likes to deny it. He’ll leave the telling to Patrick though, he is HoH.

“Would he nominate Rachel?”

David groans. “I wish, no, he said he promised her week one that he would never nominate or evict her. Pretty dumb promise but whatever,” he shrugs as best he can. 

Stevie hums. She let’s the conversation go when Jocelyn and Rachel walk outside and over to where they’re sitting. David gets up, making room for them on the sofa, and excuses himself. His legs are killing him from that HoH yesterday, he needs to lie down. He wonders if he can have a chat with Patrick now so he heads inside to find him. 

*

Patrick’s in the HoH room having just finished talking with Ronnie, there’s something about her presence around him that - he’s not sure what it was but it felt like she doesn’t like him very much. He shakes that feeling away. Patrick also spoke to Rachel briefly before Ronnie - she wanted to congratulate him again and make sure that when he said he wouldn’t nominate her that he meant it. He did mean it so he told her that she has nothing to worry about. He’s hoping David comes to talk to him soon, he really wants to figure out what to do before the nomination ceremony later. 

Speaking of, there’s a knock on the door. He calls out, “Come in,” before the door opens and in walks David.

“Hey,” he says with a bright smile. “Was hoping you’d come talk sooner rather than later.”

“Hi,” David says back, climbing onto the bed and laying down with a huff. “I mainly came to lie down, my legs are so sore.”

Patrick chuckles. He gets up from where he’s sitting on the sofa and climbs onto the bed. He climbs on top of David and leans down slightly, kissing him softly on the lips. It’s brief but it’s perfect as always. Patrick sits next to him, near his legs, and massages them through the tight blue spandex material of his unitard. David lets out a moan and the sound goes straight to Patrick’s dick. 

“Stevie was asking what the plan was for the week,” David tells him, eyes closed as he enjoys the leg massage he’s getting.

“What did you tell her?”

“That I needed to ask you cause I wasn’t sure. What is your plan?” David asks, opening his eyes to look at him.

Patrick sighs. “Stevie’s not going to like it but I want Jake out,” he tells him honestly.

David hums. “Thought so. Are you sure it’s the best move for your game though?”

“David, if you’re asking if I only want him out for flirting with you the answer is no. He’s also a huge threat in this game,” Patrick tells him.

David shakes his head. “That’s not what I - yeah, he is a huge threat but he’s a threat that’s not coming after you.”

“Yet. Why are you going to bat for him? Do you want him to stay?” Patrick asks, a dejected look on his face even though he tries to hide it.

“No, I’m making arguments that Stevie could possibly make to you when you tell her because you’re going to have to tell her. You can’t blindside her with nominating him,” David tells him. “I think it’s a huge move if you can pull it off and could be great for your game. You might also be seen as a huge threat by taking him out and this game could get a lot harder for you - and us.”

Patrick nods. “I appreciate the input and this is why I was waiting for you to come talk. You know all these game related things that I don’t. I see the cons of getting rid of him now but honestly, I think the pros are outweighing them. I’m just not looking forward to telling Stevie.”

David nods sympathetically. “I know, but I think she’ll do what’s best for the alliance. I didn’t even have to tell her about Jake’s thruple proposition-,” he says, shuddering. “-for her to help us split the vote.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Me, too,” David says simply. “Please keep rubbing it feels _really_ good,” he adds, getting comfortable again. Patrick didn’t even realize he stopped moving his hands and was just resting his hands on David’s thighs. He gets back to massaging David’s legs, smiling at him softly. “What?” David asks softly, catching Patrick watching him.

“Missed you last night,” he tells him. 

David perks up a bit, a small smirk on his face. “You did?”

“Mhm…” 

“What - um, what did you miss?” 

David’s fishing and he can’t help but tease him, “Your snoring.”

“You’re the worst,” David says, flopping back down on the mattress with a huff. 

Patrick laughs. “Sleep here tonight,” he tells him. “Wanna hold you.”

“They’ll all know we’re together though,” David tells him, worrying his bottom lip.

“Sneak up here when everyone goes to bed. I’ll get you up and out before the lights even come on,” Patrick promises.

“Oou,” David says with a disgusted look on his face. “You lost me at up before the lights come on.”

Patrick squeezes his thighs hard. “Common… don’t you want to sleep in a queen sized bed with me? In private,” he says with a smirk.

David’s eyes roll slightly back and he says, “Mhm, yes, I really do.” He pauses before he adds, “Fine, just tonight, but we have to be sneaky.”

Patrick grins and leans forward to kiss him softly. “Sneaky is my middle name,” he teases.

“Eww, don’t ever say anything like that again,” David says, chuckling despite himself. Patrick nods before leaning back in and kissing him again. 

When he pulls back he goes back to massaging his legs. He turns his head to look at the screen displaying the rest of the house. He doesn’t see anyone making their way up here yet so he continues his talk with David. “Do I nominate him or backdoor?” 

“Oh now that’s a question,” David says, contemplating. “Nominate him? He could get chosen either way. Also, if you tell him you’re nominating him so that he could play and not because he’s your target he might trust that you have some bigger plan and not feel threatened by being nominated.”

Patrick nods, taking in everything David is saying. “That’s good, okay. Who would I put up against him?”

“Well, you could go the pawn route and nominate Twyla. Or you could nominate Jocelyn who’s already been up a bunch,” David suggests with a small shrug. “Incoming,” David adds, nodding his head to the screen.

Patrick turns to see that Stevie is making her way upstairs. He pats David’s legs before letting them go and moving to sit on the sofa again. The knock comes so he calls to her to come in.

“Hey,” she nods her head as she makes her way inside, climbing over David to lie down next to him. “What’s going on?”

“Just talking about noms,” Patrick tells her.

“I should leave, been up here a while and don’t need anyone thinking we’re together,” David says, motioning to them as a trio. He slowly gets himself off the bed and notices Patrick’s goodies. He walks over to them and steals some candy from the jar. “Just gonna take some of these for the road.” 

Patrick smiles at him as Stevie asks him to bring her some. He grabs the jar and hands it to her before leaving them alone. With Stevie’s hand in the jar of candy, Patrick says, “So I have a target in mind for the week.” 

Stevie looks up at him and notices the look on his face. “It’s Jake isn’t it?”

“How did you -”

Stevie shrugs. “I had a feeling you didn’t like him because he’s always flirting with David but jealousy is not a reason to target him, Patrick,” she tells him.

“What makes you think I’m jealous?”

Stevie scoffs, “Please, you’re so obvious. The way you look at David. I’ve never seen someone so smitten before.”

“The way Jake acts towards David has nothing to do with my decision. Jake’s physically and socially strong in this game. He shouldn’t be kept around because he’s not actively coming for me just yet. Why not get him out before he has a chance to get me out?” Patrick tells her, hoping this will convince her it’s the right move.

“Because he’s never once thought about targeting you, or David, or me. He’s keeping the three of us safe so why lose a number for us so early on?” she counters.

“He’s not a number for me. He’s a number for you.”

“Patrick, a number for me _is_ a number for you. I’m a voice in his head. He trusts me. I don’t see any benefit in targeting him so soon,” she says, getting slightly frustrated that he isn’t seeing what she is.

“He asked David to sleep with him _and_ you!” Patrick lets out.

“He - what?” Stevie asks confused, eyebrows scrunched together.

Patrick sighs, not wanting to let that slip. “The other day, David told me that Jake said something about someone telling him he has a crush on him and that if he wanted to spend a night up in the HoH room with him. David asked about you and he said that he could join the two of you if he wanted like some kind of thruple,” he explains.

" _Wow_ ,” Stevie says, nodding her head. “This definitely sounds like him but he’s also fucking clueless and doesn’t need to be taken seriously. Obviously, the three of us would _never_. You know this.”

“Yeah, I know, it just wasn’t something I wanted to hear,” Patrick tells her before realizing the implication in that.

“So you two _are_ together, I knew it!” she smacks the bed for emphasis. “When did it start?”

Patrick smiles despite himself. “We had our first kiss on his birthday so I’d say then,” he tells her honestly, because at this point she already knows. “You can’t say anything though.”

“No shit,” she tells him, rolling her eyes. “I am still in an alliance with you two idiots. People finding out about you two doesn’t bode well for me either.” 

Patrick nods. “So you’re not mad?”

“Mad? No, I’m happy for you guys. I just hope this doesn’t mean I’m automatically last when it comes to anything with our alliance.”

Patrick shakes his head. “Definitely not, you don’t have to worry about that,” he tells her honestly. He’s not going to tell her about his final two deal with David but he does want her to know that she is still a huge part of their alliance.

“Good, better not have to,” she says. 

He smiles at her softly, “So can you get on board with me nominating Jake because it’s going to happen.”

Stevie sighs, “I’m not happy about this but it’s your HoH.”

Patrick feels defeated. He wants his alliance to be on board with this move and knowing how against it Stevie is has him questioning it. He’s wanted Jake out since the beginning, he can’t just _not_ take the shot now that he’s HoH. 

Ted comes knocking so Stevie leaves to let Ted and him talk. Ted’s in another alliance with him and David, as well as Alexis. He runs the idea by Ted and he’s all for it. He thinks Jake is great but definitely a threat and a major game move to get him out. He also said that Alexis is on board with whatever so he has most of his alliance members on board with the decision. He just needs to talk with Jake before the nomination ceremony to make him think he isn’t his target.

*

Patrick had most of his talks - mostly him just asking where everyone’s head is at for the week, trying to gain some information that could possibly help him or maybe even change his mind - but he gets interrupted by being called to the diary room. 

He exits the room and corrals everyone to the living room. “Houseguests,” he addresses his housemates that are all seated on the sofas. “There will be no have-nots for the week!”

The room erupts in cheers. “Thank you, Big Brother!” 

Patrick asks Jake to chat next so they head up to the HoH room together. Patrick sits on the edge of the bed as Jake makes his way to sit on the sofa. “What’s up?” Jake asks him with a nod of his head.

“So the thing is… I have a plan for the week but that entails nominating you. I need you to play in the veto. You’ve proven to be really strong when it comes to competitions and I feel really awful for using you this way since you didn’t nominate me at all last week,” Patrick rambles. His plan is to get rid of Jake but he needs him to believe that he isn’t anywhere close to being his target.

Jake laughs. “I had a feeling this would happen. I didn’t expect to be a pawn this entire game but I don’t deny that I’ve been very good in competitions,” he says confidently.

Patrick tries hard not to roll his eyes. He smiles and says, “You’re a beast, man. With the two of us competing, I have no doubt one of us could win.”

“Could I ask who your target is?” Jake asks him, eyeing him.

Patrick clicks his tongue. “Rather not say just yet. Don’t want word getting out,” he tells him.

“Got it, no worries. Listen, if I don’t have to be on the block I don’t want to be but I get it if you need to nominate me. No hard feelings, my dude,” Jake tells him.

“I appreciate that,” Patrick says with a nod. 

“Do you know who you’re nominating with me?”

“Most likely Twyla, someone who will be low risk to win the veto, gives us a better chance, and she’s part of that girl’s alliance, gotta keep breaking it up, you know?”

Jake nods. This is exactly like the other two weeks with Gwen and Ted in power. He doesn’t have any reason not to trust Patrick with this; he just has a bad feeling about it. All he can really do is gun for veto and secure his safety for the week. “I like it, good plan,” he says. 

Patrick smiles at him, glad he’s buying it. Jake smacks his legs with his hands gently before standing up. Patrick says, “Thanks for the chat.”

“Any time,” Jake says with a wink before heading out.

Patrick feels better after that conversation. Jake just _cannot_ win the veto. Best case scenario is his actual pawn wins but if he does, he has no problem leaving it the same. The issue will be that Jake will know he’s the target and could potentially try to blow up his game to gain votes to stay, much like Klair did to Jocelyn and Mutt, and how Miguel attempted to do with Ted. He just needs to have confidence that he’s playing the best game he could and that people will trust and believe him over Jake.

*

Patrick goes to the backyard where the houseguests are sitting, waiting for the nomination ceremony. He says, “Hey guys, it’s time for the nomination ceremony.” He heads back inside as the others stand to start heading inside and to the kitchen. Everyone takes a seat at the table, creating a U formation, leaving the front of the table empty for Patrick. He makes his way into the kitchen with the nomination key box and places it on the table. He stands behind it and addresses his housemates, “This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my responsibility to nominate two people for eviction. I will turn each key in the nomination box and the face of the houseguest nominated will appear on the memory wall. The first person I have nominated is –” he turns the key and the face of his first nominee appears on the wall behind him. “Jake,” he says. 

“That really is a good picture,” Jake comments. 

“The next person I have nominated is –” Patrick says before turning the next key. “Twyla,” he says when her face appears on the wall below Jake’s. “I have nominated you, Jake, because you are a comp beast. And I have nominated you, Twyla, because we don’t talk any game whatsoever. I wish you both the best of luck in the Power of Veto competition. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.” 

Patrick picks up the box with the nomination keys and walks it back to the storage room. He didn’t mention it to Twyla that he would be nominating her so he expects to have a chat with her soon. He doesn’t want her to know she’s the pawn because he doesn’t want word to get out that Jake’s his target but he does want her to know he doesn’t want her to leave this week.

He walks back out of the storage room and sees Twyla making her way over. She looks really sad, a few tears in her eyes. “Can I talk to you?” he asks her when she approaches.

“Yeah,” she says simply. He re-opens the storage room door and lets her in before stepping inside and closing the door behind them. 

“You are definitely not my target or who I want out this week at all,” he tells her right away. “So please don’t be upset.”

“I’m not – it’s just shocking. I wasn’t expecting that. But I’m not upset. Being up against Jake makes me feel better,” she tells him softly.

Patrick nods. “I have a plan for this week but just know that you will not be leaving on my HoH,” he tells her, hands on her shoulders.

“Okay,” she says, nodding. Patrick smiles at her and shakes her shoulders, making her crack and smile too. 

“Are we okay?” he asks her, letting her go.

“Yeah, we’re good. Thank you for talking with me.”

“Any time,” he says with a smile on his face.

*

Patrick finds David in the bedroom organizing some of his sweaters. He watches David’s hands precisely folding each article of clothing before placing it back in the drawers. He watches for a few more moments before clearing his throat. David turns at the noise and smiles as he sees Patrick. 

Patrick’s heart flutters, once again amazed that he gets to witness that beautiful smile. He clears his throat nervously before sitting on his former bed. He takes a deep breath and rubs a head across the back of his neck. "So something happened and I'm not sure you're going to like it."

David frowns and sits on his bed so they are almost sitting knee to knee. "Okay, what's up?"

"I was talking to Stevie about nominations and of course she was trying to talk me out of putting up Jake and I may have let it slip that Jake asked you to join them in the HoH bedroom last week."

David shrugs, "Well I would have told her eventually but it's really not a big deal, it was never going to happen anyway."

Patrick nods, "No, I know that. There's more though. She was still pressing me on why I wanted to nominate Jake and I told her it was because I didn't like that he propositioned you. Once I let that slip it was pretty easy for her to put two and two together and realize we are together."

David frowns, "Okay well that's not ideal but if anyone has to know I guess I'd rather it be Stevie than anyone else."

Patrick nods, "I'm sorry for spilling the beans, but Stevie did promise not to say anything."

"She won't, she knows it's best for our alliance if no one knows."

Patrick stands up and moves to sit next to David. "Will you still spend the night with me?"

David smiles as he leans in to kiss Patrick, "Of course. I can't wait."

Patrick smiles back as they pull apart. "Good. Now do you want me to help fold your sweaters?"

"Patrick, I care about you but sweater care is very personal and intricate, but you can watch if you'd like?"

Patrick laughs and moves back to his bed. He watches as David continues to organize his knits and then moves on to seeing if anything in his skin care routine needs to be replenished. Patrick picks up a bottle of something called body milk. He holds it up to David. "Shouldn't this be refrigerated?"

David looks at Patrick and sighs, "Patrick, anyone with a fiber of common sense knows it's for your body. It's not actual milk."

Patrick just shrugs his shoulders, "Okay, David." He hands the bottle back and continues to watch David go through his routine only looking up when he hears someone enter the room. He smiles as he sees that it’s Stevie.

"Hi Stevie."

Stevie looks between the two of them and just smirks. "Well if isn't the two lovebirds."

David frowns, glad she closed the door behind her.

Patrick makes room on his bed for Stevie to sit down. "What's up?"

Stevie looks between the two men, "I just wanted to make sure we are all good and reassure you both that your secret is safe with me."

David nods and smiles at her, "We know and we definitely appreciate you keeping it between us. If anyone finds out it will definitely put a target on our backs and we will never make it to final three."

Patrick speaks up, "And I meant what I said Stevie, our relationship doesn't change the alliance between the three of us. We will have your back to the end."

Stevie smiles at them, "That’s good to know, thank you." She looks at all David’s beauty products and picks up the bottle of body milk. "Can you drink this?"

Patrick starts laughing as David throws up his hands in the air. "See David the label is confusing!"

"Oh my God, have neither of you ever heard of body milk? It's literally milk for your body." Patrick and Stevie burst out in laughter leaning on each other as David does a full body shimmy.

David just shakes his head at the two of them but can't help the fond smile on his face. He never thought he'd find a friend or a boyfriend in this house but somehow he's managed to find both. He turns away from them as he puts his skincare away, he just hopes things don't change as the game comes to an end and he's forced to choose between them. He's not sure what he's going to do.

*

“David, please come to the diary room,” Big Brother announces. 

“Oh my God, _please_ let this be the end!” David squeals as he jumps off the sofa in the backyard and rushes inside. Everyone he passes hollers or claps, knowing that his punishment should be over now. 

When David makes his way back out of the diary room, he has a card with him and everyone has gathered in the living room. He reads from the card, “David, your BB-Unitard punishment is now over.” Everyone claps for him and he mutters, “Oh thank God.” 

David tosses the card and says, “Somebody unzip this fuckin’ thing.”

Alexis is closest to him so she goes behind him and unzips it from the top all the way down. She steps out of the way as David makes a show of removing the unitard – thankfully he has clothes on underneath, not like he wouldn’t wear any under it anyway, _ew_ . His houseguests holler and clap as he slowly removes his arms from the unitard then slipping it down his body and kicking it off of his legs. David’s wearing a white t-shirt that says ‘DON’T’ in big, black letters, and a pair of black and white striped shorts that go mid-thigh. David catches Patrick’s eye during his little unitard striptease and he feels hot all over now. He cannot wait to sneak into the HoH room tonight and spend the night together _privately_.

“I’m going to miss that unitard,” Jake says from where he’s standing on the opposite end of the sofa. 

“Me too,” Stevie chimes in like the little troll she is.

David glares at her before saying, “I definitely will not miss it. Now to deliver it back to hell.” He picks it up and the discarded card before asking to be let back into the diary room. He’s granted access and goes back inside, depositing it and the card back on the seat before leaving the room again. 

David heads to his bedroom to change his outfit now that he can actually show off his outfits and not hide under that hideous blue unitard before rejoining his housemates. Some are in the kitchen getting started on dinner, some lounging in bedrooms or the living room – David doesn’t plan on helping cook so he heads outside and joins Alexis, Stevie, and Ronnie on the sofa. 

Alexis is in the middle of telling them about the time she was trapped on David Geffen’s yacht and had to escape. The other two women are entranced in the story, David not so much. He’s heard it before when he had to fly out to the Maldives to rescue her after she escaped. That was not how he wanted to spend his 21st birthday. 

*

Waiting for everyone to go to bed is taking longer than David expected. He’s already done his skin care routine and has gotten dressed for bed – black joggers and a black and white long sleeved shirt from ‘Comme des Garçons’. He makes his way back to the kitchen, pretending to fill up his water bottle. As he looks around, he doesn’t see anyone around. Most should already be in bed but he’s not sure if some are still outside. He doesn’t want to look in case someone is out there. 

He knows that the people in his room – Alexis and Ted – are already in their beds so David rushes upstairs and inside the HoH room before anyone could notice him going up there. “Hi,” he says softly as he closes the door behind him. 

Patrick’s in his bed, under the covers, the lights out but he can just barely make him out. “Hi,” he hears him say back just as softly. David puts his water bottle on the ground and climbs into the bed where he hears Patrick moving over. 

“Oh this is nice,” he says as he feels the covers surround him and the perfect mattress beneath him. 

Patrick chuckles. “Much better now,” he says as he closes the distance between them, kissing him softly on the lips.

“Mmm,” David moans into the kiss before pulling back. “Live feeders could be watching us right now you know?” 

“Maybe we just –” Patrick starts to say before lifting the comforter up and over their heads. David giggles, feeling like he has to hide from his parents so they don’t get caught. It’s a new feeling for him. 

His giggles stop though when Patrick presses up against him, latching his lips onto his neck. He can’t help the small moan that escapes. He realizes he still has his mic on so he takes it off and drops it on the floor before getting right back to what he interrupted. 

Patrick’s body is pressed against his as they lay facing each other. His hand is gripping onto his waist and David’s running his up and under his shirt, feeling the muscles in his back and how soft his skin is. He’s warm to the touch and David just wants _more_. He runs his nails down his back and reveals in the deep moan that bursts out of his throat and into his mouth. 

Feeling Patrick’s tongue against his, teasing and tasting him, so freely and open, it’s something he knew he wanted but didn’t know he needed so badly. Having this freedom and privacy – to an extent, there are still cameras everywhere – has allowed them to get to know each other in a deeper way. Patrick’s lips move down to his neck and David breathes again, a small moan escaping as Patrick nips lightly at his skin. 

“Normally I’d be all for you marking me up but we don’t need people wondering,” David tells him, his body thrusting up as Patrick’s hands roam his body and his tongue continues to lap against his neck.

Patrick moves to get on top of him, pressing his body against him, both of his legs in between David’s. He grabs onto his thigh and lifts it up, hooking it up on his hip. “ _Fuck, Patrick_ ,” David moans out when he feels how hard Patrick is as he starts dry humping him. 

“You feel so good and I didn’t even feel you yet,” Patrick tells him hotly directly in his ear. 

“You – um, you can if you want to. If you’re not ready it’s fine.”

Patrick kisses him softly on the lips and says into his ear, “Oh I definitely do,” causing coursing warmth through his entire body.

Patrick lifts himself slightly and David pulls his pants down to mid-thigh, not wanting anything to get on them. Patrick does the same before pressing his body back onto David’s, fixing the comforter so it stays above their heads. 

“ _Fff – David_ ,” Patrick moans when his hard cock slides against his. David tells him to lie down on the mattress so they can face each other. He wraps his arm around his neck, pulling him closer and into a deep kiss. 

He removes his arm from his shoulders and slides his hand down the front of Patrick’s chest and down between their bodies. He takes Patrick’s cock in his hand and strokes it slowly. “Such a perfect cock,” he whispers hotly into his ear.

Patrick moans, his hips bucking into his touch. Patrick’s hand finds David’s cock and takes hold of it. David moans lightly, his perfect, strong, slightly calloused hand stroking his dick is something he’s imagined the past few weeks. Now that it’s happening, _fuck_. “You’re so big,” Patrick moans into his ear before nipping at his earlobe.

“ _Fuck, Patrick_ ,” David moans before kissing him hard on the lips, thrusting his tongue inside as their stroking of each other picks up speed.

They try hard not to fuck each others fist as they are still being filmed and many people could be watching them on the live feeds. This just feels too good to even care - both wanting this so badly, craving some intimacy. It’s so hard to be secret about their relationship, it’ll be harder after having had a night like this together. David kisses across Patrick’s mouth to his neck and sucks lightly on his skin, trying hard not to mark his beautiful pale skin.

Patrick twists his wrist and David bites down lightly on the juncture of his neck. “David… I’m close,” Patrick says into his ear.

“Come for me baby,” David moans lightly against his neck, his own orgasm approaching.

Patrick bites down on his bottom lip before feeling David presses his lips to his. He kisses him hard as he comes into David’s hand. He continues to stroke David, feeling his orgasm all over his hand. 

They break apart slightly as their orgasms subside, trying to regain their breath, sweaty under the covers. Patrick attempts to pull his pants back up with one hand before slipping out of the bed without pulling the covers off of David. He makes his way to the washroom and washes his hands. He grabs a wet wipe and brings it back with him for David as he slips back into bed with him.

After David’s cleaned up and put back together, he snuggles in close to Patrick, the covers now below their chests. He kisses him softly on the lips. “That was so good,” Patrick says against them.

David giggles. “Mm, it was,” he whispers, snuggling his face into the crook of his neck.

Patrick wraps his arms tighter around him, kissing the side of his head. He’s never felt this good in a relationship before - this whole, this happy, this _safe_. He knows it’s too soon but he’s falling harder every day for David Rose.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David's been sneaking into the HoH room every night and sneaking back into his bed every morning. The Power of Veto is won but will it be used? And a fight erupts between two houseguests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this is late but took a while to complete. It's definitely a fun one and filled with drama, we hope you enjoy!! 💖

**DAY 31**

Patrick wakes up wrapped around David. He smiles as he inhales his scent, kissing him softly on the side of his neck. David wiggles slightly in his hold, closer to him. Patrick feels a fluttery feeling deep inside of him. “David…” he whispers into his ear. 

“Mmm,” David hums lightly, drifting up into consciousness. 

“You’re going to have to get up to sneak into your bed downstairs before anyone else wakes up,” Patrick tells him, kissing him again on the neck then his shoulder. The lights are still out so David has time but he needs to get him up if they don’t want to get caught.

David groans, trying to get further under the covers and closer into Patrick, wiggling his butt against him. That stirs his insides and Patrick feels his dick react to the feeling of David against him. Thoughts running to last night and finally feeling David and having him touch him too. 

“Mmm, good morning to you too, Mr. Brewer,” David says in his raspy morning voice, pushing his ass back into Patrick deliberately. 

Patrick tightens his hold on David and thrusts into him causing David to moan deeply. If he’s not going to get him out of bed the regular way he’s definitely going to try it this way. Patrick kisses him again on the neck, his hands traveling up and under his shirt, touching his chest and twisting his nipple slightly as he pushes his groin into David’s ass. David moans, pushing back against him, back arching as Patrick plays with his nipple. 

“ _Patrick_ …” he moans. His hand moves from where he was grasping his forearm to lift the comforter above their heads. “You feel so good,” he adds, pressing back into him further.

“ _Umph, David_ ,” Patrick moans into his neck before biting his shoulder. He slows his hips and says into his ear hotly, “Are you awake now?”

“Hmm? Yeah, don’t stop,” he tells him, pushing his hips back into his slowing thrusts. 

Patrick bites his shoulder lightly before saying, “You need to get downstairs before anyone wakes up,” stopping his movements and pulling his hands away from him.

David groans, “You can’t be serious right now.”

“Oh I very much am,” Patrick says as he removes the comforter from their heads. David turns onto his back turning his head to look at him. They can’t really see each other in the dark but Patrick just _knows_ David is glaring at him and possibly pouting.

“You’re the worst,” he huffs.

Patrick chuckles, bringing his hand to his chest and running it up to his neck. He finds his lips with his finger before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips. David holds his arm in place as he kisses him back deeper. Patrick pulls back and says, “Go, David.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going, in a minute,” he says, huffing as he lies on his back again, away from Patrick. 

He chuckles lightly as he waits until he hears and feels David lifting the covers and getting out of bed. He grabs his mic pack and water bottle before saying. “Okay, bye, I hate you,” he whispers.

Patrick laughs. “No you don’t. See you later, baby.”

“No, absolutely not,” he says with finality before opening the door. He looks back so they can see each other in the faint light of the hallway. They smile at each other softly before David leaves. 

He’s quiet as he makes his way downstairs. Thankfully no one is awake as he goes to use the washroom then heads to his bed. He slips into his cool bed that’s been untouched all night without anyone noticing. He would easily slip back into sleep but Patrick went and got him all riled up. 

*

The lights come on with full force before the music starts. David pulls his comforter above his head, groaning at the rude awakening they have to go through every single morning. He hears Ted and Alexis getting up slowly and moves around the room to get what they need to get ready. 

David tries to drown out the noise but it doesn’t work. He angrily throws his comforter off to halfway down his body and looks over and sees Ted looking at him. 

“Morning, bud.”

David groans. “Hi,” he says softly.

“You did not wake up on the right side of the bed today huh?” Actually he did but he was so rudely kicked out of Patrick’s bed and had to come down here only to be woken up like two hours later by production. When he doesn’t say anything Ted adds, “How about waffles for breakfast?”

“Waffles sound great, thanks Ted,” he tells him before slowly getting out of bed.

It takes David longer than usual to get ready but the promise of waffles from Ted gets him moving. He takes what he needs - clothes and all this toiletries including his skin care products and makes his way out of the room. He passes through the living room to the kitchen and sees Patrick dressed and ready for the day, sipping on his tea at the kitchen island. 

He steps up to his side and asks, “Can I use your bathroom?”

Patrick smiles at him, seeing his messy hair and knowing he probably didn’t sleep all that much after leaving his room earlier. “Sure,” he says simply. 

“Thanks,” David says before heading for the stairs. 

He takes his time in the privacy of the HoH bathroom to shower, do his skin care routine, and get dressed. He leaves his hair wet to air dry as he gathers everything back up to bring back to his bedroom.

As he makes his way through the kitchen Ted calls to him, “David, waffles will be ready for you in a minute.”

“Thanks, Ted, I’ll be right back,” he tells him. He deposits his things in their rightful place in his bedroom before going back out there and joining some of his fellow housemates for breakfast around the table.

*****

As everyone enjoys the sun outside, Patrick is called to the diary room. 

“Probably time to pick players,” Ray comments when he sees Patrick head inside after being called. Some of them decide to head inside and wait in the living room to see.

Not long after he was called into the diary room, Patrick walks out and says, “Hey everyone! It’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition! Please meet me in the living room!”

Everyone makes their way into the living room, taking a seat on the sofas - Twyla and Jake take their seats in the eviction chairs. Patrick stands at the front of the room with the PoV box of names in front of him. “Only six players will compete for the Power of Veto - the HoH, the two nominees, and three other players selected at random. Will the two nominees join me up here?”

Jake and Twyla stand and make their way to stand on either side of Patrick. “As HoH, I will pick first,” he says before putting his hand into the box. He pulls out a chip and reads, “Ronnie.” He doesn’t get the impression that Ronnie likes him but she sure is happy to have been called to play. She claps as she stands and goes to stand next to Twyla. Ronnie getting picked isn’t ideal, she and Twyla are very close and suspected to be in this girls alliance. 

Twyla reaches her hand into the box next and reads her chip, “David.”

“Again?” David says as he stands. He’s already played in three out of the last four veto competitions. Patrick couldn’t be happier that he’s playing though. They’re working together to the end of this game and they made their relationship official. 

Jake reaches in the box next and pulls out a chip, reading, “Houseguest choice,” as he shows them the chip. He looks around the room before pointing and saying, “Stevie.”

Stevie nods as she stands and goes to stand next to David who’s standing next to Jake. Patrick smiles - his core alliance are all playing in this competition, this is the ideal scenario. However, he doesn’t want Stevie to win and use it on Jake, that would not be good. “Big Brother will inform us when it is time to begin. Good luck, houseguests,” Patrick tells him. 

“This will be fun,” Ronnie says as everyone starts moving around. “I haven’t yet played a PoV.”

“Oh yay!” Twyla says. “That’s true.” 

Patrick brings the box of name chips back to the storage room before heading to the kitchen. The backyard is locked as they start getting the competition ready. 

*

The afternoon drags on as they await instructions for the PoV competition. The backyard has been locked the entire time as they are setting the yard up for the competition so the houseguests are forced to stay inside for the majority of the day. 

David, Patrick, and Stevie were able to find a moment in the day to study days and events that have taken place in the house. They sat upstairs, outside of the HoH room where Patrick and Stevie were playing chess and David watching, but they were actually studying in case there will be a memory competition coming up. 

Finally, Patrick is called to the diary room so they head downstairs, knowing he’ll come out of there to tell everyone it’s time for the competition.

*

The six players followed by the other houseguests make their way out to the yard where it is set up for the PoV competition.

The host of the competition - Ray stands where he’s supposed to and tells the players, “This competition is called ‘Niagara Balls’ and here’s how it works. Each player will start on the platform down below. Five thousand balls will be dropped onto the houseguests, ranging in a multitude of colors. The players must collect green balls and place them into their container. The player that gets eight green balls into their container the quickest will win the Power of Veto! Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!”

Ray tells them to take their places on the platform. They’re wearing shorts and a tank top with eye goggles on their faces to cover their eyes. They look up when the buzzer sounds and thousands of balls come crashing down on them and all around them. The six players move quickly to scoop up green balls. You could only grab one at a time so Patrick is moving as fast as he can. He definitely needs to win this competition to ensure that his nominations stay in place. He tries not to focus on anyone else around him as he dodges the other players, moving to collect a green ball. He dives for one right before Ronnie has a chance to get it. He smiles at her politely before taking his fourth green ball to his container. 

“Patrick is in the lead with four green balls!” Ray calls out. “Stevie and Jake are close behind with three, David has two, and Twyla and Ronnie both have one green ball in their containers.”

Jake is getting close to him and so is Stevie. This cannot happen. More balls come flying out from above them so Patrick continues to fight to grab a green ball. 

Everyone is fighting hard in this competition. It seems like every single player really wants to win this week. That won’t make Patrick lose focus though, he’s getting closer to having eight balls in his container. He’s keeping the lead and he doesn’t slow down - not until he has all eight balls and wins this veto.

The winning buzzer goes off after Patrick puts his last green ball into his container. “Congratulations, Patrick! You have won the Power of Veto!” Ray calls out.

“Boom baby!” Patrick exclaims as he does a little victory move. The other five players congratulate him with pats on the shoulder or a hug. David hugs him and he squeezes him tight before letting go, wishing he didn’t have to refrain from the embrace. 

Ray puts the golden Power of Veto around his neck and says, “Congratulations, Patrick.”

“Thanks, Ray.” 

They all head back inside and Patrick heads to the diary room to do his retelling of the competition so they can edit it in during the competition for the episode. 

*

After each player in the competition gets their chance in the diary room, Patrick is in his HoH room watching the screen that displays different rooms in the house - mainly the hallway, the kitchen, and living room. Patrick’s changed out of his competition outfit - now he’s in jeans and a black crewneck sweater. He sees David making his way upstairs - also freshly changed, he’s wearing these black pants with some kind of fabric covering the front, possibly a skirt? And he’s wearing a zebra print sweater that looks very cozy. He knocks on the door before Patrick calls for him to come in.

“Hi,” David says softly when he walks into the room. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Patrick says as he accepts David into his arms. David kisses him hard on the lips, his arms wrapped around his shoulders. 

They pull apart and check the screen, they’re in the clear for now. “First HoH, now PoV, look at you go!” David tells him before moving to sit on the sofa.

Patrick moves to sit next to him, smiling brightly. “I’m so happy I won that. Jake was so close to winning it. We have all the power this week, we could do whatever we want,” he tells him.

“And you still want to get Jake out?” David asks, turning to face him, back against the armrest.

Patrick nods, “As of right now, yes. I think it’s the best move for the week.”

“Then we’ll get him out. Just get ready - I don’t think Jake will go quietly.”

Patrick sighs, “Yeah, I don’t think so either. He has nothing on me though so there really isn’t anything he could say. Maybe just point out that I’m a threat but I’m sure I already showed that to everyone this week by winning both comps.”

“True,” David says. “Hopefully it doesn’t blow up. Usually I am _all_ for a fight but I definitely don’t want to see one with you involved.”

“Agreed.”

*

Stevie walks into the bedroom she’s been sleeping in and finds Jake changing into some of his own clothing. “Hey,” she says as she sits on the bed, back against the headboard. “You okay?”

Jake sighs, “Not really. I really wanted to win that.”

“You were really close,” Stevie says.

“Wasn’t good enough,” Jake says before removing the tank top from the competition and tossing it to the floor. “He did say he had a plan, hopefully he’ll use it on me.”

Stevie shrugs, shaking her head. “I don’t know where he’s at,” she lies. She can’t tell him about her final three with Patrick and David, nor could she tell him that he is Patrick’s target. She’s pissed she didn’t win or worse, that Jake didn’t win it. She’s happy for Patrick but she really does not want to lose Jake this week. He’s good for her game. “Won’t know until you talk to him.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely gonna talk to him. If not tonight then definitely tomorrow. Hopefully someone makes themselves a bigger target before the ceremony if I am his target,” Jake tells her. 

“Yeah, hopefully,” Stevie truly hopes that happens. If not, she’s going to continue to try and change Patrick’s mind and change his target.

*

That night when mostly everyone has gone to bed, Patrick sits up in his HoH bed and watches the screen displaying some of the rooms downstairs. He’s in his pajamas - a white t-shirt and some plaid blue pants - his mic pack is on the small table and the lights have just turned off completely throughout the house, well, apart from the washroom and kitchen. 

As Patrick sits back against the headboard, pillow at his lower back, he watches as David slowly makes his way through the house. He can’t help the grin as he watches his boyfriend try to be sneaky. David finally makes it upstairs and he hears the door open and sees the face of the man he’s falling hard for, illuminated from the lights below. 

Patrick scoots over so David could climb in and he shuts the screen off so they are encased in darkness. David puts his mic pack on the floor like the night before and snuggles in close. He moans softly as Patrick wraps his arms around him, holding him close. He has his head on Patrick’s chest and is lightly petting at his stomach above his t-shirt. “This feels nice,” David whispers.

Patrick couldn’t agree more. He kisses the top of his head and says, “I’m glad you came back, I wasn't sure if you would after this morning.”

David pats his stomach as he says, “Yeah, let’s not do that again unless you actually finish what you start, thanks so much.”

Patrick chuckles. He flips them so he can hover over David. He pulls the covers above them and says, “Why wait?” before kissing him on the lips.

David moans into the kiss, his hands moving to grip at his back, pulling him closer to him. Patrick puts most of his weight on him and David relishes in the feel, grabbing onto him, running his hands up and under his t-shirt to feel the muscles in his back. 

Patrick slips his tongue into his mouth, teasing him lightly as he slowly rocks against him. David presses his head back into the pillow, breaking their kiss. Patrick moves his lips to his neck, sucking lightly - too light to mark him. “The live feeders must be having a blast these past two days watching us get freaky under the sheets,” David says as Patrick kisses down his neck and to his collarbone, pushing his shirt out of the way.

He brings his lips back up to David’s and whispers against them, “Don’t think about that stuff, it’s just us in here.” David smiles into their next kiss, holding him close. 

They kiss and kiss and kiss some more. They kiss until their lips feel numb. David pushes Patrick back and gets above him, making sure the comforter is still covering them. He’s pulled fully on top of him, Patrick’s hands grabbing at him. David kisses his neck and starts to slide down his body. 

He puts all thoughts out of his mind and only focuses on Patrick - sweet Patrick who cares about him and wants to be with him. He just wants to make him feel good so he lies between his legs and pulls at his soft pajama pants. Patrick lifts his hips to help David get them down his thighs. 

“You sure? You don’t -” Patrick starts to say but David is having none of that. He licks up the underside of his hard cock before swirling his tongue around the head. He takes him fully into his mouth and sucks. Patrick moans above him, his fingers running through David’s hair. David moans at the feeling and he knows Patrick feels the vibrations of his moan against his cock because his hips jerk up slightly. 

David runs his hands and nails over the exposed parts of Patrick’s thighs as he sucks him down, teasing him with his tongue. Patrick’s grip on his hair tightens and David can’t help but moan at the feeling, swallowing him down further. 

“ _Fff- David_ ,” Patrick whispers. “So good, such a perfect mouth.”

David moans again, swallowing around his length. He takes one of his hands and goes to touch his balls, playing with them lightly. It doesn’t take much longer before Patrick warns him, “Close, _David_.”

David doesn’t stop, wanting to feel Patrick cum down his throat - and he does, with a breathy moan above him and his fingers holding onto his hair tightly. He loosens his hold on David when he’s done and David slowly removes himself from his dick. He helps him back into his pants before draping himself over him again. Patrick kisses him hard on the lips, slipping his tongue into his mouth and tasting himself on his tongue. He slips his hand into David’s pants and jerks him quickly. It doesn’t take much for David to come hard into his hand, biting lightly on Patrick’s shoulder as he does. Patrick strokes him through his orgasm, trying to contain it so he doesn’t ruin his pajama pants. 

He takes his hand out and licks it clean. “ _Fuck, Patrick_. I wish I could see you doing what I know you’re doing right now. You probably look so fucking sexy,” David purrs into his ear, sucking lightly on his earlobe.

Patrick wants to get his mouth on David but he’s not sure he’s ready for that yet but he did want to taste him. It’s not as bad or weird as he thought it would be. He likes it - David tastes sweet. 

David kisses him, now tasting himself on Patrick’s tongue. They kiss lazily with no motive to go further again, just enjoying the feel of the other. 

They kiss until they’re tired and David turns in his arms and snuggles in close. Patrick spoons him from behind, holding him close to his body and he thinks about how hard he’s falling in love with David Rose.

**DAY 32**

David is almost back to his bedroom in the wee hours of the morning when he hears Twyla calling out to him but not too loudly, “Hey, David!” 

“Twyla. Hi. Um, I was just…” he trails off, not sure of what to say.

“I noticed you’ve been out of your bed a lot this week.”

“Oh?” David asks, attempting nonchalance. “Y-you have?”

Twyla nods. “Yeah, I’ve seen you walking around.”

“Well what have _you_ been doing up?” David asks, his defenses up. He can’t believe that of all the people, it’s Twyla who has caught on to him sneaking into the HoH room.

“Oh, just going to the bathroom,” Twyla explains, waving in that direction. “I’ve been making a lot more trips there. I’m not really sure why. It’s not like I’m doing anything differently. Well, other than a new smoothie recipe I’ve been trying. But it can’t be that.”

“Okay, first of all, please never tell me about that again. But mhm, definitely can’t be that.” David grimaces, thinking of Twyla’s slop smoothies. “I think I Alexis is calling me, so I’m just going to—”

“—I didn’t hear anything,” Twyla says, brightly. “I’m pretty sure everyone is still asleep.”

“Of course you didn’t,” David says under his breath. He flashes Twyla a forced smile. “Well, thanks for the chat.”

“I’m glad I caught you,” she continues, oblivious to his attempts to end the conversation. “You should join me for my morning yoga.”

“Wait, what?” David eyes her suspiciously. “Why?”

“It’ll help you relax,” she explains. “It helped my aunt with her insomnia. She couldn’t sleep because of a ghost in her house that kept leaving dimes everywhere. That’s why you’ve been out of bed so often right? Insomnia?”

David nods quickly. “Yes, right. That is definitely something I have.”

“Great, let’s get started.”

“Oh, you want to do it right now? You see, I was going to go lay down.”

“Don’t be silly,” Twyla grabs his hand and gently pulls him towards the door to the backyard. “We can’t miss the sunrise!”

David tugs his arm out of her grasp, but follows her. He never thought he’d willingly get up before the sun for anyone, but he’s quickly learning that there’s a lot he’ll do for Patrick.

*

By the time Patrick makes his way downstairs and outside, Jocelyn, Mutt, Alexis, and Rachel have joined Twyla and David’s morning yoga session. He sits on the couch outside with a cup of tea, trying not to make it obvious that he’s watching them. Still, Rachel catches his eye and waves. He waves back, making sure to look away quickly before she gets the wrong idea.

“Hey, Patrick. Is it okay if I sit here?” Jake sits down next to him, not waiting for an answer.

“Morning, Jake.”

“Hey, congrats on that veto win. You did amazing.” He claps Patrick on the back, rubbing his shoulder before removing his hand.

Patrick shifts away, putting more space between them on the couch. “Thanks.”

“Head of Household and veto.” Jake whistles. “You’re proving to be a competitor. I think we should work together. We could do great things.”

Patrick laughs uncomfortably. “Oh, well.”

“All you’d have to do is take me off the block.” Jake smiles at him. “I’ll vote however you’d like me to this week. I’ll win HoH next week. And then we could really dominate this game.”

“I told you I have a plan this week,” Patrick says evasively. Jake’s confidence about winning the next HoH competition is proof that he needs to go home. “I’m sticking to it.”

Stevie joins them, saving Patrick from having to say anything else. “That doesn’t look comfortable.” She tilts her head towards the yoga group.

“What do you say we go over there and show them a few moves, Pony?” Jake puts an arm around her.

“Pass,” Stevie says, dryly. She snorts as she watches everyone except for David and Jocelyn move out of the position. “Did David fall asleep on Jocelyn?”

Patrick takes advantage of the distraction to slip away and head back into the house.

*****

Later that evening, when it’s not yet time for bed but everyone is kind of just loafing about, Jocelyn suggests they all gather in the living room to play a game as a house.

With nothing else to do, everyone agrees and finds a spot around the living room. “So the game is two truths and one lie. Each person will state two true things about them and one lie then the rest of us have to guess which is the lie,” Jocelyn explains. “Who wants to go first?”

“I’ll go,” Alexis volunteers, raising her hand. She runs her hands down the sides of her dress where it’s fanned out around her. Ted’s sitting on her left and Ronnie is on her right. She doesn’t look up as she says, “My eyes are brown, I’m basically sample size, and one time I escaped from a Thai drug lord’s car trunk by bribing him with sex.”

“Great job, Alexis, but the game is to make the lie more believable,” Jocelyn tells her.

“Her eyes are aqua,” David says from where he’s sitting at the end of the sofa closest to one of the nomination chairs. 

A lot of eyes land on Alexis and she says, “Okay, it wasn’t even that bad because Arune was a lovely gentleman until he ran out of money.”

Most people seem stunned, some have heard some crazier things come out of Alexis's mouth, and then David asks, “How many people do you know that are currently in the prison system? Like twelve?”

She turns to face him as she says, “Um, I’m pretty sure just two,” flipping him off with both hands.

“Okay - who’s next?” Jocelyn asks, taking focus away from David and Alexis bickering.

“I’ll go,” Twyla says, raising her hand gently from where she’s sitting between Patrick and Jocelyn. “My best friend in kindergarten ran away, and her parents didn't notice, and she ended up getting adopted by this really rich Asian family in Vancouver. My Uncle Ken only has three fingers now, which is too bad, because he's deaf, and he only speaks using sign language - but he made his choices. There's only one casino near my town that I haven't been banned from as an unaccompanied minor.”

“Twyla, you’re supposed to tell one lie not three,” Ray tells her.

“Oh those were all truths, my mistake,” Twyla says, shaking her head, that always present sweet smile on her face.

“You can go again after if you think of something,” she says to Twyla softly as she pats her leg gently. “Okay, who’s next?”

“I’ll go,” Patrick offers from where he’s sitting next to David and Twyla. “I like to bake, I once played the Emcee in a community college production of Cabaret, and I won a high school baseball championship.”

“The Cabaret one is the lie,” Stevie says from her seat in one of the nomination chairs. 

“I think that one too,” Twyla says, raising her hand.

Rachel says, “He doesn’t like to bake,” before David does. He was going to say it once others guessed but she beat him to it - of course knowing the answer. 

“Yeah, I don’t bake,” Patrick tells them. David can feel his eyes turn to look at him briefly.

“No, you’re just not good at it,” Rachel says with a chuckle. “I remember this one time you tried to make _cookies_ \- like the simplest thing and they were rock hard. My filing snapped.”

That little tidbit gets some laughs and David hates that he’s jealous. He’s jealous of the life they shared together which is stupid when he thinks about it but they spent a decade and a half together - that’s so much time worth of memories and experiences. 

He feels a slight graze to the outside of his thigh and when he looks down he sees Patrick’s pinky resting between their legs. He meets his eye and smiles softly before saying, “I’ll go next.”

“Great, go ahead, David,” Jocelyn tells him with a bright smile.

“My favorite place in the world is Japan, my favorite designer is Ralph Lauren, and I love butter tarts,” he says, mouth twisting to the side as he waits.

“I’m going to say the lie is Japan,” Mutt says and Ronnie and Ray agree.

“His favorite designer is Rick Owens,” Stevie tells them.

“That is correct but I would have also accepted Givenchy,” David adds.

“Um, Stevie,” Alexis draws their attention to her. “How do you know who Rick Owens is?”

“When we first got here David made me sit through a crash course on his entire wardrobe,” she tells the room making some of them snicker.

“Stevie, why don’t you go next,” Jocelyn tells her.

“Um okay - so I own three cats, I play 12 days of Christmas but with wine, and I want to explore the world,” she tells the group.

“I don’t know what that second one meant so I definitely think that’s true,” Ted says aloud. 

“So the one about exploring the world is the lie,” Ronnie says. “You look like you’d own three cats. 

“Um thanks?” Stevie says confused. “But no, that would be the lie. I don’t have any pets.”

“Jocelyn, why don’t you go next,” Alexis tells her.

“Oh, okay,” she says with a smile, sitting up more. “The local salon in my town has a haircut named after me, I love coconut, and I’ve been married for 27 years.”

“No way you’ve been married that long,” Patrick says, choosing that as her lie.

“Um, you’re just going to skip over that she said she has a haircut named after her?” David asks. “That’s the lie,” he decides. He lives in that town, he feels like this is definitely the lie.

“The lie is she loves coconut, she’s allergic to it,” Mutt says.

“It’s true, my face rashes up like crazy if I have it,” Jocelyn tells them.

Ronnie whistles, “Look at you with your own hairstyle named after you.”

Jocelyn blushes, “Oh stop. Who’s next?”

The game keeps going with everyone getting a turn. David actually gets into it, he wasn’t sure if he would but he’s having fun, which is strange because a game like this would never be fun outside of this house. He must get way more bored than he realized because this is the most fun he’s had with everyone since his birthday.

**DAY 33**

Waking up before the sun rises is really getting to David. He thought maybe with the amount of times so far he’s done it that he’d start to get used to it but nope. He finds himself tired and in need of a nap before it’s even noon. He’s about to try to sneak in a nap but before he can they’re all instructed to head to the backyard and wait for the Power of Veto ceremony. 

*

Patrick makes his way to the backyard where everyone is waiting for him to call them in for the veto ceremony. He knows he’s making the right decision for their game - everyone in his alliances, but he also knows that Stevie isn’t happy about it. He really doesn’t want to risk his alliance with her by getting rid of one of her allies, but it will be better in the long run for all of them if Jake is gone.

The houseguests follow him into the living room, and he stands in front of the PoV box. “This is the Veto meeting. I have nominated both Twyla and Jake, and I won the power to veto one of those nominations.” He pauses. Last week, Jake didn’t give either nominee the chance to plead their case. He could do the same; nothing either says will change his decision. But it’s only fair to let them talk. “You each have the chance to tell me why I should take you off the block. Jake, you can go first.”

Jake stands up. “Thanks, Patrick. Obviously being on the block sucks. I don’t want to go home. And I’m sure Twyla doesn’t either. But what I have that Twyla doesn’t is the ability to help you get far in this game. I can win competitions. I can get rid of the competition. You already know I think we’d make a great team. And I made it pretty clear last week who my targets are—the girls.”

Patrick sneaks a glance at David and has to hold in a laugh at the disbelief on David’s face. Jake trying to form an alliance in front of the whole house is definitely not one of his smartest moves.

“Idiot,” he hears Stevie mutter.

“Twyla, your turn.”

She stands up. “Jake was right about one thing; I don’t want to go home yet. This has been a really fun summer. I hope you think keeping me around is valuable to your game and you’ll choose to use the power of veto on me. I respect your decision either way.”

Patrick waits until she sits back down. “I nominated you both, and I don’t really see a reason to change the nominations. For that reason, I will not be using the Power of Veto. This veto meeting is adjourned.” He places the veto necklace into the box and snaps it shut, quickly taking it into the storage room. The last thing he wants is to stick around for Jake’s reaction.

*

Rachel pulls Twyla aside after the veto ceremony. “Hey, are you okay? That was some pretty rough stuff Jake said.”

“Oh, no, I’m okay.” Twyla wipes her eyes quickly before putting on a smile. “It’s all part of the game, right?”

Rachel shrugs. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. If it’s any consolation, I don’t think you’re Patrick’s target. You’re too sweet for him to go after.”

Twyla brightens a little. “Thanks, Rachel. I hope you’re right.”

Rachel hugs Twyla before leaving her to look for Jake. She passes David and Patrick together in the kitchen. Obviously her attempts at getting Jake to distract David away from Patrick didn’t work. Hopefully her new plan works a lot better. 

She finds Jake outside lifting weights. “That was rough,” she says, walking up to him. “You shouldn’t be on the block.”

Jake puts the weights down, nodding. “Definitely not. And now I’m probably going home because Twyla isn't competition at all.”

Rachel murmurs her agreement. “I’m not surprised Patrick is overlooking how useful partnering up with you would be to his game.”

“You’re not?”

Rachel makes a show of looking around to make sure no one else is nearby. “Okay, don’t tell anyone, but I overheard David telling Patrick that he shouldn’t use the veto on you. Patrick was going to until David stopped him. It’s his fault you’re still on the block.” 

It’s not true, but she only needs Jake to believe her. If anyone else asks, she’ll deny ever saying anything to him.

“I thought you said David liked me.”

“Yeah, last week when you had power. But now he’s sucking up to Patrick.” She leans in closer to him. “I think if you have any chance of staying, you need to convince everyone that David is a problem and only you can get rid of him.”

“Thanks, Rachel. You’ve given me a lot to think about.” He winks at her. “And I can count on your vote, right?”

“Of course.” She may be friendly with Twyla, but if there’s a chance Jake can get rid of David for her, he needs to stay.

*

David grabs Stevie the first chance he gets and takes her outside. He needs to make sure she's still not going to do anything to stop Patrick's plan.

"Oh great, he's out here," he says when he sees Jake.

"You could be a little nicer about your boyfriend getting out one of my allies, you know." Stevie folds her arms and sinks down onto the hammock.

"Shut up!" David looks frantically at Jake to make sure he was far enough not to overhear. He lays down next to her, groaning. "He's coming over. You summoned him!"

"Pretty sure only a massage circle can summon him," she quips.

"Hey, Stevie. Laying down with the enemy?" Jake asks when he gets to them.

Both David and Stevie sit up, matching frowns on their faces. "What are you talking about?" David asks.

"Someone told me they heard you telling Patrick to target me."

"Well _someone_ -," David says, confident it was Rachel. She's the only one he knows to have a problem with him and he saw her come in from the backyard a little bit ago. "-was lying to you. Patrick made all his own decisions."

"They had no reason to lie," Jake argues back.

"We're playing a game," Stevie reminds him. 

“Seriously, Jake. I’m not HoH. I didn’t decide to put you on the block.” David feels bad about shifting the blame to Patrick, even though it was his decision. He stands behind the decision, but he can’t make it obvious they’re working together or else Jake could try to expose them like he did the girls alliance. 

"Whatever." Jake storms off, heading back to the house.

David bites his lip nervously. If Rachel really did send Jake after him to try to blow up his game, he needs to get her out of the house. It's not a discussion he's looking forward to having with Patrick.

"Shouldn't you go after him?"

"No, I'll catch up with him later." Stevie groans. "He's really not making it easy to want him around this week."

"You're the one who chose to sleep with such an idiot."

"Look at him. I didn't pick him for his brains."

David chuckles, settling back down. "Fair point."

*

Jake heads into the house, a little disappointed that Stevie doesn’t follow him. He’s not sure what to believe. Why would Rachel go from saying David likes him to trying to get him to go after David? There’s one thing for certain, though. No matter who told Patrick to put him up, it was Patrick’s decision.

He finds Patrick in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables for a salad and chatting with Ray, who’s stirring a pot on the stove.

“We need to talk.” Jake says, not waiting for a break in their conversation. 

“Can we do it later?” Patrick asks hesitantly. "We're in the middle of dinner."

“No, I don't want to wait to know why you want me gone.”

Sighing, Patrick nods and pushes the cutting board aside. "Fine. Let's go upstairs."

"Here is fine." Jake sits down at one of the chairs by the island, crossing his arms. "Unless you have something to hide."

Patrick rolls his eyes and scoffs. "I don't have anything to hide. I needed to put two people up. I put up someone you exposed to be in an alliance that has been doing pretty well and you, someone who has won competitions.”

“So you’re fine if either of them goes home?” Ray asks, giving up all pretenses that he’s not listening in.

Jake snickers at the look Patrick throws Ray’s way. “Yeah, Patrick. Am I your target or not?”

“Yes!” Patrick’s outburst brings Alexis, Ted, Rachel, and Ronnie into the kitchen.

“Whoa, looks like things are getting _heated_ in here,” Ted exclaims. 

“Patrick’s just telling me all about how I’m his target.”

Ronnie laughs. “You sure know how to make friends in the house.”

“That’s- that’s not what’s going on,” Patrick protests. “He asked!” 

Shrugging, Jake motions to the other houseguests. “I just think everyone should know the kind of person you are. When I was HoH last week, I could have gone after you, but I didn’t. You should have shown me the same courtesy.” He sees more people peering in or full on sitting and watching, wanting to get some excitement.

“It’s not like we made a deal. You told me I wasn’t your target and that was it.”

Jake looks around at everyone. “Patrick is not trustworthy. You should keep me because unlike last week, he will be my target.”

The door to the backyard opens, and Stevie and David enter, stopping short when they see everyone gathered. “Um, what’s going on?” David asks.

“Patrick here was just telling Jake how much he hates him,” Ronnie fills in.

Rachel heads off Patrick’s protest by grabbing Jake and pulling him out of the room. “I think everyone needs to just cool down.”

“Hey, I was just doing what you asked,” he says once they’re alone in one of the bedrooms.

“No, I said you should convince everyone to keep you because you’ll go after David, not Patrick!”

Jake sits on one of the beds and waves off her protests. “Yeah, but I wasn’t going to rat on you telling me about David. And he’s not the one who put me up, anyway. Patrick is who I’ve got my eye on.”

And if he’s able to convince David to team up with him and Stevie once Patrick is gone, well, that’s a win-win in his book.

*

Once Jake is gone, Patrick looks to everyone else now gathered in the kitchen and says, “He came in here and asked to talk. When I said let’s go upstairs he said no and picked a fight with me. Ray was here the whole time,” he looks to Ray for support.

“That’s true. He seemed to want to cause chaos and he has,” Ray says, cheery as always.

“He’s obviously my target as he should be for most if not all of you. He’s clearly a physical threat,” Patrick adds. At this point what does it matter. Jake knows he’s the target and so does everyone else.

Alexis walks up to Patrick and boops him on the nose. “You’re fine, it was pretty obvious he was the target sitting next to Twyla,” she reassures him. Turning to find Twyla she says, “No offence, Twy.”

“Oh none taken,” she says with a smile. Jake blowing up like this is _great_ for her game, people will more likely vote for her to stay. Unless they want to flip on Patrick and keep Jake, then she’s fucked.

“Well, you’ve secured your safety this week,” Ronnie tells her, patting her shoulder before leaving the kitchen and heading out back.

“I knew he was trouble since the beginning,” Jocelyn chimes in. “Don’t worry about it, Patrick. We’ve got your back this week.”

There’s agreements from everyone there and that makes him feel better. He smiles, “Thanks guys, I appreciate it.”

“You’ve been nothing but kind to everyone - he’s just bitter he got outplayed,” Alexis tells him with a small shrug.

Patrick asks Ray if he can handle dinner on his own for a bit because he needs a moment. Ted offers to help so Patrick thanks him before heading up to the HoH room. He paces around the room, eyes wandering to the screen every few moments. He’s hoping David comes upstairs but he knows why if he doesn’t. 

He does. After a few minutes, David makes his way upstairs and into the room. “Are you okay?” he asks when the door closes as he walks towards him.

Patrick accepts the hug, holding on tight. “I’m fine but what the hell was that?” he asks, pulling out of the embrace.

“I literally don’t know.”

“I told him we should talk upstairs when he rudely interrupted me and Ray but _nooo_ , he wanted to try and blow up my game in the middle of the kitchen,” the more he speaks the more upset Patrick becomes.

David places his hands on his shoulders and says, “Breathe, Patrick, it’s okay - no one is against you right now. Well, Jake is but he’s leaving on Thursday. This little outburst of his just cost him his game. Alexis was right, you’ve been nothing but kind and sweet to everyone. No one is going to keep him to go after you.”

Patrick listens to his words as he looks into his deep dark eyes, seeing nothing but pure honesty in them. He takes a deep breath and says, “You’re right, okay. He just makes me so mad.”

David tries not to grin but it’s hard not to. “You’re so cute when you’re upset.”

“Oh yeah?” Patrick asks as he leans forward, closing the distance between them. He steals a few kisses before David leaves. Patrick stays a few more minutes before heading back down and avoiding Jake for the rest of the night.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will be evicted from the Big Brother house, Jake or Twyla? And who will become the next Head of Household?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter.  
> Thank you for the continued support on this fic, it means a lot getting your feedback.  
> We hope you enjoy this one! 💖

**DAY 36**

The past couple of days have been weird - very on edge. Patrick’s been trying to avoid Jake as much as possible and ignoring him when he can’t avoid him but it doesn’t stop Jake from being a huge pain in the ass. He’s trying to get under Patrick’s skin. He wants Patrick to blow up and make himself a bigger target but Jake doesn’t know Patrick well. Patrick won’t just blow up because some guy is pushing his buttons. Patrick is a calm, cool, and collected kind of guy. He knows the best thing to do is to not show the others that he’s annoyed or upset by anything Jake’s doing. He continues to stay positive and kind to everyone. And he believes his strategy is working because a lot of people - not in his alliances - are making it a point to tell him they are voting Jake out. 

Today’s eviction day and Patrick’s sad his reign of power is over but he’s excited to see Jake walk out of those doors. He would love for someone in his alliances - David, Stevie, Alexis or Ted - to win this next HoH but he thinks he has a good rapport with everyone in the house to not be the next person sent home. The only person he truly doesn’t feel safe winning is Ronnie. For some reason she doesn’t like him. She hasn’t said that she doesn’t like him but it’s in the way she acts around him. He can feel it and it makes him very uneasy.

Patrick saw over the past couple days Jake trying to get votes to stay and some people have even come to tell him what he’s pitching and it’s the same to everyone. He’s telling them all that if he stays, he will always be a bigger target to shield them and he will go after Patrick. He’s not expecting for it to work, he doesn’t expect to be blindsided tonight but the motto of this show is to _expect the unexpected_ so he’s on edge. He’s so thankful he has David in here with him. 

“Don’t worry too much,” he tells him, coming to wrap his arms around his neck and into a tight embrace. They’re in the HoH room alone so they have a few moments to be like this with each other.

Patrick wraps his arms around David’s waist, letting himself be held and feeling the warmth, safety, and love in his embrace. He rests his head in the crook of his neck, kissing that spot softly the way he knows David really likes. David hugs him tighter and it makes Patrick smile. “I know, I’m trying not to,” he tells him as he pulls back to look him in the eyes.

“Mmkay, tell that to your face,” David teases, mouth twisting up to the side in that way that makes Patrick’s heart beat a little faster.

Patrick feigns shock, “ _My_ face?” 

“Mhm, that’s correct.”

Patrick laughs before David leans forward, kissing him and distracting him from being teased. He kisses him back, never wanting to stop but knowing they don’t have all the time in the world for this. 

They pull back from the kiss and David rubs at his shoulders. He says, “Jake is going to be leaving today so just breathe.”

Patrick breathes in and out before smiling at David and kissing him softly on the lips. “Thanks,” he says when they pull back. His eyes wander to the screen and he sees Alexis coming so as he pulls away he says, “Your sister,” before sitting on the edge of the bed.

David scrambles for a second before throwing himself on the sofa. Alexis knocks at the door. “Come in,” Patrick calls to her.

She pokes her head in before coming into the room. “Hi,” she says as she walks over to the little table and digs for a licorice in the jar. 

“Uh hi,” David tells her. All of his emotions on his face, it’s hard not to be amused by him. 

“Uh hi,” she repeats, eyeing him. She takes a bite of her licorice before looking over at Patrick, shaking her head. 

“What’s going on, Alexis?” Patrick asks her. 

“Hmm? Oh nothing, just a little bored,” she shrugs, a smile on her face as she bites at her licorice. Patrick looks over at David who shakes his head. “What were you guys talking about?”

*

The house is getting ready for the live eviction and Head of Household competition. Patrick notices a last minute campaigning from Jake, and Twyla looks nervous. He tries to reassure that she’ll be fine tonight, that it’ll be an easy out for him. Finally the time comes for them to sit in the living room and wait for Moira.

“It’s time for the live vote and eviction, let’s tell the houseguests,” Moira says into the camera before turning to her screen and pressing a button. She appears inside the house, on the houseguests screen and greets them, “Good evening, houseguests.” 

“Hi Moira!” They call to her where they sit on the sofas and the nomination chairs. 

“It’s time for the live vote and eviction,” she informs them. “Jake, Twyla, you have been nominated for eviction. You both have thirty seconds to plead your case to your fellow housemates. Twyla, you’re up first.”

Twyla grins as she stands. She holds both hands together in front of her and says, “Thank you, Moira. I miss you family! To my houseguests, I am not ready to leave tonight so please vote for me to stay. I respect your decision either way. Love you all.” 

She sits back down and Moira says, “Thank you, Twyla. Jake, you’re next.”

Jake stands and smiles to Moira, “Moira, you look exquisite as always. Houseguests,” she turns from side to side to look at all the other players, “If you keep me, I will be a shield in front of you. You all know who my target is if I stay so you don’t have to worry about me coming after you until he’s out of the house. I hope you all make the right decision.”

Jake sits back down and Moira says, “Thank you Jake. Thank you both. One at a time you will each head to the diary room and cast your vote to evict. The Head of Household and the two nominees are not allowed to vote. Ted, you’re up first, please head to the diary room.”

*

Each houseguest cast their vote to evict before Moira says to the audience, “All the votes are in, let’s give the news to the houseguests. She appears on their screens and tells them, “The votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his or her belongings and walk out the front door.” She pauses before informing them, “By a vote of 8 to 1, Jake you have been evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Jake nods as he stands. He hugs Twyla as everyone starts to step out of the space to let them out. Jake hugs everyone briefly - apart from Patrick - before heading to the door. Stevie is there waiting for him with his bag by her feet. He grins at her before picking her up in a big hug. He kisses the side of her face before whispering to her. He puts her back down and grabs his bag. 

“Peace out, everyone,” he calls before heading out the door.

He walks out onto the stage and sees a crowd of people cheering for him and Moira Rose waiting for him by two tall chairs. He puts his bag down and walks over to her, shaking her hand. 

Jake sits on the free chair as Moira sits on her chair. “Jake, what happened?! You seemed to be a big fan of this game, how did this happen?” She asks him.

Jake laughs, “I don’t know, Moira! I was never coming after Patrick, I don’t know why he came for me like this, maybe you can enlighten me.”

Moira smiles, “Hold that thought. We want to know - what’s going on with you and Stevie? We saw some things on the show but before coming here, what were you two? A couple or?”

Jake chuckles, “Stevie’s an amazing woman. She’s so fierce and funny, and just such a good soul even when she’s sarcastic and poking fun at you. We’re friends that like to explore each other’s bodies. We have a great friendship.”

The audience laughs. Moira asks, “What did you whisper to her before leaving?”

“I told her _good luck, babe, I’m rooting for you_ ,” he says and the audience coos. Moira does as well.

She says, “Some of your housemates left some goodbye messages for you, let’s watch and listen,” as she points to the screen behind her.

Stevie appears on the screen and Jake smiles. She says, “Jake, if you’re seeing this, it means I’m stuck in here without you and we couldn’t save you. I feel really bad and I have to tell you this even if you potentially come back and this ruins my game - David and Patrick are in a showmance and I’m in a final three with them. I think Patrick felt threatened by you flirting with David that it was mainly the reason you’re gone. He told me it was because you’re a threat in this game, not just against his showmance. I did everything in my power to try and stop this from happening and to win that veto to save you - which I would have done if I won. I’m so sorry. Can’t wait to see you but not until finale night.”

“Wow,” Jake mutters to himself, nodding throughout. Patrick appears on the screen next, “Jake, you were a big threat in this game and I had no option but to come after you. I think you’re a great dude and I hope there’s no hard feelings.”

Rachel comes on the screen next. She tells him, “Jake! Ugh, I wish you would have had the votes to stay. I think there is something going on between David and Patrick and I really needed you here to get in the middle of it. I think you’re awesome and I wish this isn’t how you were going. Hope to see you outside of this!”

“Final thoughts?” Moira asks him.

Jake blows out a breath, “I’m shocked but not really. I wish them all luck though.”

“Thank you, Jake, stay right there,” she tells him before looking into the camera. “Up next, who will win the Head of Household competition and gain power and safety for the week?”

*

The houseguests stand and watch Jake’s picture turn to black and white as they wait to be told about the HoH competition. They do what they need to do while Jake is interviewed outside with Moira - use the washroom, get some water, whatever the case may be. 

For David and Patrick, it’s standing in the kitchen by the island. “You okay?” David asks him in a hushed tone.

“Yeah,” he smiles. “I’m good. How are you feeling going into this?” he asks, nodding towards the backdoor.

David shrugs. “I don’t think I _need_ to win but I’m still going to try,” he tells him.

They’re instructed to head outside and get ready for the HoH competition. Because they weren’t asked to change they know it must be a mental competition and they’re proved right when they step outside and see podiums for each of them to stand at - except for Patrick who sits off to the side - with a buzzer. 

Moira’s voice comes through the sound system, “It’s time for the Head of Household competition. Patrick as outgoing HoH you cannot compete. This competition is called ‘Most likely to’ and here’s how it works, I will read you a statement from one of the houseguests currently still in the competition’s introduction package. Buzz in and figure out who the statement is referring to. Be the first to buzz in and get it right, you can choose the player you want to eliminate. Get it wrong, and you will be eliminated. The last player standing will be the new Head of Household. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, let’s get started,” she tells them. “Who’s most likely to live in a barn?” Alexis buzzes in first. “Alexis, you buzzed in first, what is your guess?”

“Mutt,” she says. 

“You are correct. Choose someone you’d like to eliminate,” Moira tells her.

She looks around like she’s not sure who to eliminate then says with a sorry face, “Rachel, sorry girl.”

Rachel steps down and goes to sit with Patrick. “Thank you for stepping down Rachel,” Moira says. “Okay, who’s most likely to bake for the entire house?” Ray buzzes in and Moira says, “Ray, you buzzed in first, who is your guess?”

“My guess is Jocelyn, Moira,” he tells her with a grin. 

“That is correct, who will you be eliminating?” 

Ray turns his eyes to his choice and says, “Sorry, Mutt, I choose to eliminate you.”

Mutt swings his hand as he says under his breath, “Dammit.” 

Moira asks the next one, “Who is most likely to run a marathon?” The buzzer sounds and Moira says, “Stevie, you buzzed in first, who is your guess?”

“Um, Ted,” she says, a little unsure now that she’s on the spot. 

“That is correct,” Moira tells her. “Who will you be eliminating?”

Stevie looks around unsure, her eyes land on Ronnie and she remembers Patrick mentioning how he feels uneasy around her so she says, “Ronnie, sorry.”

Ronnie gapes at her before stepping down. “Thank you for stepping down, Veronica. Who is most likely to wear a sweater in the middle of summer?” The buzzer sounds. “Stevie again, who is your guess?”

“I’m gonna go with David,” she says with all the confidence in the world. David eyes her, smiling slightly. 

Moira tells her, “That is correct, who will you be eliminating?”

She decides to go for the whole alliance Jake warned her about. “Jocelyn, sorry,” she says.

“Oh shoot, that’s okay,” Jocelyn says before stepping down.

“Who is most likely to have fun making spreadsheets?” The buzzer sounds and she says, “David, you buzzed in first. Who is your guess?”

“Patrick,” he tells her, trying hard not to look over at him and smile. 

“That is correct, who will you be eliminating?” she asks him.

“Ray, I’m sorry,” he tells him. 

Ray steps down leaving David, Alexis, Stevie, Ted, and Twyla. They just need to knock Twyla out and everyone left is someone that David is closely aligned with. “Who is most likely to do tarot readings?” The buzzer sounds and Moira says, “Ted, you buzzed in first, who is your guess?”

“Uh, Stevie?” he says, very unsure. 

“Sorry, that is incorrect, you’ve been eliminated, please step down.” Ted steps down and Moira says, “It’s between David, Alexis, Stevie, and Twyla, one of you will be the next HoH.” There’s a pause before she continues, “Who is most likely to have been held hostage?” The buzzer sounds, “David, you buzzed in first, who is your guess?”

“Alexis,” he says, confident that he’s right since he has had to save her from many sticky situations in their youth.

“That is correct, who will you be eliminating?” she asks.

“Twyla, sorry,” he tells her.

Twyla steps down and joins the others. Moira asks, “Who is most likely to have multiple jobs at one time?” The buzzer sounds and Moira says, “Stevie, you’ve buzzed in first. Who is your guess?” 

“My answer is Ray,” she says. 

“That is correct. Who will you be eliminating?” Moira asks her.

“Alexis.”

Alexis steps down and heads to the others, taking the spot next to Twyla. “This is the final one, buzz in correctly and you will be the next HoH. Who is most likely to crochet in their free time?” The buzzer sounds and Moira says, “David, you buzzed in first, who is your guess?” 

“Rachel,” he tells her. 

“That is correct. Congratulations, David! You are the new Head of Household,” she tells him. 

“Wow,” David says to himself as he steps down. He hugs Stevie before they meet the others half way. Patrick puts the HoH key around his neck before hugging him. “Congratulations,” he tells him before letting him go. David hugs everyone who gives him a hug and thanks them for their congratulations before they are let back into the house.

*

They all walk back into the house and soon enough houseguests are called to the diary room while others start making dinner or going to change into more comfortable clothing. David has his diary room session last - after they’ve eaten dinner. 

He walks out of the diary room and calls out, “Who wants to see my HoH room?” 

The others cheer as he leads the way up to the Head of Household room. He opens the door and lets himself in, holding the door for those behind him. He takes in the room - looks much like the ones before him but he sees his goodie basket and photos framed and placed around the room. He looks at the pictures with everyone - glad to see they didn’t include any with his mother in them, he doesn’t need that added target on his back. The photos they did put are one of him and Alexis as kids and one of them in Italy when David had to fly all the way there to come get here, they ended up staying a few days together and it was the most fun they’ve had together in a long time. The other photos are one with his dad at his high school graduation, one of him drawing in his art studio he used to own that was taken by an ex that he wishes never existed, and the other photo framed is of him and the crew he used to run with in New York that he hasn’t heard from since they lost everything. He wishes that wasn’t framed and that he could have a whole family picture instead but it was chosen _because_ he doesn’t want anyone to know the host of the show is his mom. 

David goes to his goodie basket, pleased to see all the snacks he loves and can’t wait to munch on. He takes the letter out of his basket, already knowing who it’s going to be from. “Oh yay, letter time!” Alexis says, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. The others find a spot to sit or lean as David opens up the letter.

“It’s from my dad,” he tells them. “David, if you’re reading this then that means you won Head of Household. Congratulations son! Your mother and I are very proud of you. We’re loving watching you and your sister on TV and getting along so well. We love you so much, keep doing what you’re doing. You’re a star, son, and we couldn’t be prouder. Love, dad.” 

“Aww,” the room coos as David smiles at the letter. He says, “Thanks, dad,” before folding it back up and bringing it over to the dresser so he doesn’t lose it. 

*

David’s glad the others don’t stay long, leaving soon after the letter to let him enjoy his room. He wasn’t planning on winning that HoH but it happened and he’s not mad about it. He gets to sleep in this comfortable bed for a week and not worry about being a have-not. He’s safe for the week and so are his allies, and it’ll be Patrick’s turn to sneak up at night and sneak out in the mornings. That’s what he’s really looking forward to the most - spending a week cuddled up with Patrick, spending every night in the same bed, having some _privacy_ \- well, as much as they can get.

David watches the screen, he sees a few people heading to their rooms to probably change and get ready for bed, he sees some heading outside, and some just hanging out in the living room or kitchen. He knows he has to nominate two people tomorrow but he really doesn’t want to have any talks about the game tonight - making sure to mention that to everyone before they left his room. He needs to discuss with his alliance members - Patrick, Stevie, Alexis, and Ted - before making any decisions. Talking with everyone else will also be beneficial but that could wait until tomorrow.

Tonight, David just wants to chill so he heads downstairs to grab his things to move up into the HoH room. He uses his private bathroom to change, do his skin care routine, and get ready for bed. It’s not late - the lights still on - but David just wants to lie down on his comfortable bed and listen to the iPod provided to him with his song choices. He listens to Mariah Carey and relaxes on the bed. He thinks about the week ahead of him and what the best move will be to set him up for the following weeks. He won’t be able to play in the next HoH competition so who he chooses to target this week needs to be the best option so he doesn’t fuck himself over for next week.

David leaves the screen on so when his eyes wander over to it he can see what the others downstairs are doing. He wonders how long it’ll be until someone comes up here and interrupts his moment of peace. He closes his eyes when the next song comes on, listening to the lyrics and thinking about his birthday when Patrick sang a karaoke version of this song to him. The Best by Tina Turner was always one of his favorite songs because of how beautiful the lyrics are but now it’s the most special song to him because of Patrick. 

He’s listened to enough songs that he can tell about an hour has gone by. Turning off the music and putting the headphones and iPod down on the dresser, he heads downstairs with his empty water bottle. He sees most have trickled off to bed as he heads into the kitchen to fill up the bottle. 

The backdoor opens and Stevie and Patrick walk inside. “Hey,” he greets them as he closes his bottle, leaning against the kitchen island.

“Were you upstairs this whole time?” Stevie asks.

“Mhm,” he hums. “Was listening to music. It’s a nice change to listening to Patrick’s music last week,” he teases.

“Hey, don’t be a hater,” Patrick tells him.

“What was going on in my absence?” 

Patrick shrugs, “Nothing much.”

“Everyone was chilling in different rooms. I played a little pool. You didn’t miss much,” Stevie adds. 

“That’s good,” he says. “Well, I’m heading up to bed,” he adds, making his way around the island and passing by them.

“Same, night,” Stevie says before heading to the bathroom. 

“I’ll see you later, just gotta wait - you know,” Patrick tells him in a hushed tone. 

“Mhm,” David hums. He squeezes Patrick’s bicep, winks at him, before heading for the spiral staircase and heading back up.

*

Patrick watches David go and wishes he could run up after him. Instead, he also heads to the washroom to wash his face, relieve himself, and then heads to his bedroom. He changes into his pajamas and slips into bed. The lights are out now and mostly everyone is in bed. He knows when he and Stevie came inside, Ray and Ronnie were still outside. He hopes everyone’s in bed now but he knows he should wait until he can hear the even breaths of Alexis, Ted, and Stevie. 

Finally, when he thinks no one will hear him, he slips out of the bedroom and out to the halls. He doesn’t see anyone awake so he rushes upstairs, careful not to trip and fall, and careful not to make any noise. He opens the HoH bedroom door and slips inside. 

Patrick had left his mic pack by his bed downstairs so he just slips right into bed with David who immediately grabs for him. His hands fisting into his t-shirt as he pulls him closer. Patrick chuckles as he allows David to pull him to him. Patrick wraps his arm around him as he moves closer, placing his head on his chest and throwing a leg over him. 

“Mmm, so comfy,” David mumbles as he snuggles closer.

Patrick grins. He kisses the top of his head and then says, “Somebody’s sleepy.”

“Sorry, tried to wait but-” he starts to say before a yawn rips out of his mouth making Patrick chuckle. “Long day,” David finishes.

“It’s okay, David, go to sleep,” he whispers to him, kissing his head again.

“Okay,” he says simply, kissing his chest through his t-shirt softly before inhaling deeply. Patrick can hear the moment David falls asleep - his hold on him losens, his breathing becomes even and shallow, and his face feels really relaxed against his chest. 

Patrick hugs him close, pressing a soft kiss to his head again as he lets sleep consume him. It comes fast as Patrick’s never felt more comfortable than in this moment with David in his arms. 

**DAY 37**

David wakes up early the next morning. He was starting to get used to waking up to sneak out of the HoH room. Thankfully, the room is his this week so it’s Patrick who has to sneak out. He turns over to return the favor of Patrick’s wakeup calls from the past week, but instead of his boyfriend sprawled out beside him, he only sees the empty bed. It’s sweet that Patrick let him sleep in instead of waking him up, but he’s disappointed he didn’t get to wake up to him in his bed.

He takes his time getting ready, enjoying having his own bathroom. Nominations are today, and he’s not sure who he’s putting up. He’s going to have to talk to his alliance members and get their opinions. He definitely wants Rachel out, especially if she really was trying to get Jake to mess with his game. She may have failed, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try again.

Stevie and Twyla are in the kitchen, Twyla at the stove and Stevie eating cereal at the island. David waits until Twyla’s back is turned to walk up to Stevie. “Do you know where Patrick is? We need a meeting,” he says quietly, leaning into her.

“He said he was going to shower. Meet by the pool?”

David confirms before heading to the bathroom. He slows down when he hears quiet murmurs. Staying out of sight, he can make out Jocelyn and Mutt’s voices. He hears Jocelyn ask what Mutt wants her to make for dinner, a conversation he’s definitely interested in.

“I don’t think we should rush it,” Mutt replies. “Maybe hold off on dinner.”

Hold off on dinner? David frowns. It may only be breakfast, but it’s never too early to plan for dinner.

“Please, Mutt? We want you to come over after finale night. I can make fondue!”

Realizing it’s a family conversation and not gameplay, David begins to turn around to quietly sneak away. He has enough of his own family dysfunctions; he doesn’t need to hear Jocelyn and Mutt’s.

“Not if he starts talking about my turn as Schitt’s Creek’s mayor. He takes the mayor tradition in the family too seriously. You know I’m just not that down into labels,” Mutt says, stopping David in his tracks.

Mayor? David bites his lip as he listens to what Jocelyn has to say next.

“Oh, honey.” Jocelyn sighs. “I know. But we’ve talked about it, and I think he understands. He misses you, and I know he’d be happy to see you. Rollie Jr. would love to have his big brother around more often, too!”

“As long as he knows I’m not going to be the next Mayor Schitt.”

David takes off quickly, not needing to hear anything else. He already knew Jocelyn and Mutt are from Schitt’s Creek. But he thought not recognizing either of them meant they wouldn’t recognize him either. He may not have met him, but he’s heard plenty of stories from his father about their town’s mayor. There’s no way Jocelyn is the mayor’s wife and doesn’t know exactly who he is.

She has a truth bomb that she could use to explode his game at any time.

*

“Backyard’s closed,” Stevie announces when David re-enters the kitchen.

“I’ll be upstairs then. Let the house know I’m available to meet?” He heads upstairs without waiting for her answer. 

Stevie joins him not long after, laying down on his bed. “What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to put up Jocelyn and Mutt,” David says.

Stevie raises her eyebrows. “And not Rachel? After what she did last week?”

“They’re a duo working together who have already won competitions,” David defends his choice. “And Jocelyn is part of that girls alliance. They’re a bigger threat right now. Rachel hasn’t been able to do anything yet. If one of them comes off the block after veto, I’d be more than happy to put her up as a replacement nominee. But until then, my target is Jocelyn.”

Stevie shrugs, “Whatever. As long as we don’t get rid of any more of my allies, I’m good.” She nods to the television screen where they can see Patrick walking up to the room. “Your next appointment is here.” She opens the door for Patrick and lets him in as she leaves.

“Hey,” Patrick leans in to kiss David. “I’ve been waiting all day to do that.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” David pouts.

Shrugging, Patrick sits next to David on the couch, wrapping an arm around him. “You looked peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Well, wake me up next time.” David settles in against Patrick, putting his head down on his shoulder. “I don’t like waking up without you.”

“Whatever you want.” Patrick tilts David’s head up to kiss him again. He moves away before the kiss can get too heated. “We’d better talk nominations before someone else comes up to talk to you.”

“You’ll never believe this,” he says, sitting up and facing Patrick. “I overheard Jocelyn and Mutt talking. Jocelyn is the mayor’s wife!”

“Okay?”

“Of Schitt’s Creek!” David fills in for him, waving his hands around. “My dad and the mayor have met _several_ times. Alexis and I were even supposed to go to a dinner at their house one of our first nights there but we went to a tailgate party instead.”

Patrick snorts, interrupting him, “That I’d like to see. Did you do a keg stand?”

David pinches his side playfully making him chuckle. “Even if she doesn’t realize who we are right now. She’ll remember at some point. One of us could slip up and say something and it’ll click for her. I can’t risk having her around.”

“Agreed,” Patrick nods. “Who are you putting up against her?”

“Mutt. I don’t know what he knows, but at least I can put them up and say it’s because they’re a duo.” David glances at the television to make sure the coast is clear. “Okay, more kisses, please.”

The rest of his meetings with the house go smoothly. Alexis is less alarmed about Jocelyn being the mayor’s wife than David is, but agrees it’s best to get her out. Ted assures David that he’ll play the week however he wants. Twyla is relieved to hear she won’t be a nominee, pawn or otherwise. Jocelyn and Ronnie meet with him at the same time, trying to convince him that Ray needs to leave. Ray and Mutt spend their meetings assuring David that he’s not a target. Rachel never makes it up to the HoH room.

*

“It’s time for the Have Not competition! Grab your outfits and head into the backyard,” David calls out, leaving the diary room. Thank God he’s exempt for being a Have Not. Hopefully, Patrick will win. If he’s a have-not this week, he won’t be able to sneak into the HoH room at night.

The houseguests gather outside, all wearing swimwear. David is standing next to a large chalkboard, and there are two frozen yogurt machines and a large scale on a platform in the yard.

“What the hell is this,” Stevie mutters.

“This game is called Funky FroYo!” David reads off the card. “You have randomly been split into two groups. “Twyla, Patrick, Jocelyn, Ray, and Rachel, you’re on Team Purple. That means Alexis, Mutt, Stevie, Ted, and Ronnie are Team Green! The way this game works is that you’ll all be weighed in as a team. Then, one member of each team will race to the two frozen yogurt machines. 

“You better be quick so you can choose whether you want vanilla and chocolate or anchovy and habanero. Once each team member has played two rounds, you’ll all be weighed again. The team that gains the least amount of weight will be have-nots for the week.”

“Ew, David!” Alexis cries out. “This is disgusting.”

“Agreed,” David says under his breath, glad he is exempt from playing. “Team Purple, you’re up first.” He waits while Patrick and his team make their way to the large scale. “Your starting weight is 670.4 lbs.” He records it on the chalkboard and then calls Team Green to the scale. “Team Green’s starting weight is 785.3 lbs. Twyla and Stevie, you’re up first.”

A whistle blows and Twyla and Stevie race to the frozen yogurt machines. Twyla makes it the vanilla and chocolate one first, barely, and she immediately leans backwards and sticks her head under the dispenser, mouth open wide.

“Go, Twyla!” Rachel cheers.

Stevie makes a slower attempt at eating her anchovy and habanero frozen yogurt. She takes a few big bites before gagging and sticking to licking it.

The rest of the match-ups are similar, one eating the vanilla and chocolate quickly—although, no one as quickly as Twyla—and the others forcing the anchovy and habanero one. 

“Okay, time to weigh in. Team Green, you’re up,” David says, after all the rounds are finished. “Your weight is 775.2. You gained 16.9 lbs.” He records the numbers on the chalkboard. “Team Purple, you’re up.” Once they’re on the scale, he continues. “You’ll need to weigh more than 687.3 lbs. to win.” He crosses his fingers. “688.2 lbs.!” he cries out when the scale stops. “That’s a 17.8 lb. gain. Congratulations. Sorry Team Green, you’re have-nots for the week.”

David and Patrick linger as the last two houseguests to enter the house.

“I feel disgusting,” Patrick moans.

“You still look good,” David says, smiling. “In fact, you look really good in purple. I love you in blue but this looks nice, too.” He blushes, realizing what he said.

“Thanks.” Patrick reaches out so their hands brush, sighing at the fact that he can’t do more at the moment.

*

David heads out to the backyard to call in the houseguests for the nomination ceremony. He schools his features, trying not to show how excited he is to be doing this. After all the years of watching on TV, it’s finally his turn.

“Hey, everyone,” he calls out. “It’s time for the nomination ceremony.”

The houseguests follow him and everyone takes a seat at the table while David stands in front of them with the nomination box. He takes a deep breath and begins, “This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my responsibility to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will turn each key in the nomination box and the face of the houseguest will appear on the memory wall.”

He turns the first key. “The first person I have nominated is Jocelyn.”

Jocelyn gasps as her picture appears on the memory wall. Beside her, Twyla puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“The second person I have nominated is...” He pauses before turning the key. “Mutt. As mother and son, I feel like you’re a really strong duo that needs to be broken up. You’ll both have the chance to fight for the Power of Veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

Jocelyn hugs Mutt before accepting hugs from everyone else. “Thanks,” she sniffles.

David takes the nomination box and leaves to put it away. He just hopes he’s right and Jocelyn is a bigger threat to his game than Rachel.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the Power of Veto and will it be used to save Jocelyn or Mutt from the chopping block?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter & if you've been watching the show you know that tonight is the finale, so don't forget to tune in if you wanna see who wins. I have my predictions, what are yours?
> 
> Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments each week!  
> We hope you like it 💖

**DAY 38**

David wakes up to the feeling of lips being pressed into his shoulder and up to his neck. He presses back into Patrick, whose strong arms tighten around him as he continues to tease him with soft kisses on his neck and up to his ear. Patrick’s teeth nip at his earlobe before it’s being sucked into his mouth and David feels heat rush through him. He turns around in his arms and crashes their lips together, wrapping his arm around his neck. Patrick’s pressed completely against him, he can feel his hardness against his leg and he’s sure Patrick feels his. He hitches his right leg up over Patrick’s hip as he grinds against him eliciting a moan from Patrick deep into the kiss. Patrick’s hands tighten their hold on him, pulling him closer.

“You wanted me to wake you up for this huh?” Patrick teases, skimming his lips over his jaw and cheek before going back in for another kiss.

“Correct,” David mumbles against his lips, smiling into their next kiss.

Patrick’s arms and hands around him, his body pressed against his, it all feels so good. David pushes Patrick into the mattress as he lies mostly on top of him. Patrick’s hands roam down his back, toying with the waistband of his joggers. His fingers slowly slip into his pants where his hands grab onto his ass, pulling him harder against him.

“ _Umph, Patrick_ ,” David moans in a breath, he feels his hard cock rub against Patrick’s through their pants. Patrick slowly runs his fingers across his cheeks as he spreads them apart. David moans into Patrick’s neck when he feels Patrick’s finger press against his hole. He softly teases him and David has never been more turned on in his life. 

Patrick pulls at David’s bottom lip before kissing across his jaw and to his neck. “You feel so good,” he whispers hotly into his ear. 

“ _Fuck, Patrick_ ,” David moans against his neck as he grinds against him, chasing that pleasure. 

It’s not long before David’s coming in his pants and biting lightly on Patrick’s shoulder. Patrick runs his hands up and down his back soothingly until David moves to lie down next to him. 

David brings his hand over to get him off but Patrick stops him, “I have to get downstairs before the lights turn on.”

“Are you sure?” 

Patrick smiles at him, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I’m sure,” he says against them before kissing him again. “You should get cleaned up,” he tells him with a small smirk. He gives him another kiss before getting out of bed. He makes sure he’s not visibly hard before leaving the room and heading back downstairs. Thankfully no one is up yet so he uses the washroom and goes about his morning like he has the last 37 days in this house.

*

After breakfast David is called to the diary room. Once he comes back out he calls out, “Everyone, it’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition!” 

The houseguests gather in the living room, sitting on the sofas - Jocelyn and Mutt in the nomination chairs, and David at the front of the room behind the box of names. “It’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto competition, will the two nominees join me up here?” he asks them. Jocelyn and Mutt walk over to stand on either side of David. “As HoH, I will pick first.” He reaches inside the box and pulls out a chip, “Stevie.” He stops himself from smiling too wide as she stands and comes to stand with them. Having one of his allies in this competition is great - David definitely does not want these nominations to change but he does have a replacement nominee in mind in case it does happen. 

Jocelyn picks next as she pulls the chip out, she reads, “Ray.” Ray grins and claps before getting up and going to stand with them. Mutt picks last, reaching inside the box to pull out a chip. “Houseguest choice,” he reads. He looks around the room, unsure of who to pick when his eyes land on his ex. “Twyla,” he says. He picks her because he knows he has a better chance at beating her in the competition and maybe if she happens to win, she will use it on him. 

Once Twyla is standing with them, David says, “And I need to pick a host for the competition… I choose Patrick.” Patrick grins and the houseguests clap before David adds, “Big Brother will inform us when it is time to compete. Good luck!” 

David brings the box back to the storage room. He looks for a snack in the fridge when the door opens. Stevie walks in, nodding to him. 

“Hi,” he says, closing the fridge to look at her.

“Do you want me to gun for this?” she asks him.

“Uh yeahhh.”

Stevie nods, “But if I don’t win and one of them does,” she means Jocelyn or Mutt, “you’ve got a replacement?”

“Obviously,” he tells her and she nods, knowing who it is. “I don’t want them to change though so definitely do not throw this.” 

Stevie leaves so people don’t suspect anything, leaving David in the storage room alone for a minute as he continues to look for a snack to munch on.

*

“It’s time for the Power of Veto competition!” Patrick yells as he comes out of the diary room later that day. “Get into your costumes and meet me in the backyard!”

The six players go to the storage room to get their outfits and erupt in laughter and confusion. David knows what competition this is and he has no idea if he’ll be able to win it.

The houseguests not playing are already sitting outside waiting, as well as the host, Patrick, who is standing not too far away from them. The six players make their way outside in different colored bodysuits and frilly tutus around their waists - David in green, Stevie in purple, Jocelyn in pink, Mutt in yellow, Ray in blue, and Twyla in orange. Everyone else hoots and hollers, clapping their hands as they make their way over. They each stand in their designated spot before Patrick explains the competition to them.

“This competition is called ‘Bowlerina’ and here’s how it works,” he reads, “You will need to knock down all four bowling pins to win, but a gate is blocking your lane. To lower your gate, hold onto the metal bars above your head and spin fifteen times. After fifteen spins, the gate will lower and you will have fifteen seconds to knock down as many pins as you can. You’ll have to move fast because after fifteen seconds, your gate will pop back up and you’ll have to spin again to get more bowling time. The player to knock down all their pins will win the Power of Veto!” Everyone claps. “Does everyone understand?” Patrick asks them.

“Yes!” 

“A buzzer will sound when it is time to begin, good luck houseguests!” 

Each player stands in their spot right below their metal handle bars. The buzzer sounds and they all reach up for their bars, spinning as fast as they can to get to fifteen. Well, most are spinning really fast - David and Stevie aren’t moving as fast. David gets motion sickness so he’s trying not to gag and going slow is Stevie’s strategy. If she goes too fast she might lose all her balance and waste the fifteen seconds she has to bowl and knock down her pins. 

Mutt’s gate lowers and he unsteadily races to his lane to grab a bowling ball and roll it towards his pins. He misses and those fifteen seconds went by very quickly because his gate goes back up. 

It’s a slow competition as everyone spins around then unsteadily tries to bowl. Twyla gets the first pin down before having to rush back for more bowling time. Stevie’s not dizzy at all and gets two pins down in one go. 

“Stevie with two pins down is currently in the lead!” Patrick calls out. 

Jocelyn then David and Ray both get one pin down as Mutt finally gets one then another in one go. “Mutt has caught up to Stevie and is currently tied with two pins down! Everyone else has one pin down.” 

Stevie hears that Mutt is tied with her so she tries not to panic. She can’t change her strategy now, she just needs to focus on herself and not where anyone else is. She steadily - much more so than anyone else - makes her way to her lane and rolls the ball hitting another pin. She grabs her other ball and shoots for the last one but misses before the gate goes back up. She rushes back to spin as she hears Patrick announce she’s once again in the lead.

“Twyla and Jocelyn both have two pins down. David and Ray both have one down, and Mutt is still right behind Stevie going for his third pin,” Patrick announces.

Mutt gets his third pin down just as his gate goes back up. They are neck in neck to win this competition. Stevie makes her final spin as she sees her gate lower. She goes to grab her bowling ball and tries to line it up so she definitely hits the last pin and wins this thing.

She takes her shot since she doesn’t have a lot of time and everyone’s watching, anticipating what will happen. The ball knocks down the pin and Patrick says, “Stevie has knocked down her last pin so congratulations Stevie! You have won the Power of Veto!”

Stevie jumps, excited she actually won something. Patrick comes over to her to put the veto necklace around her neck and then hugs her, wishing her congratulations again. She hugs everyone as they congratulate her before they are allowed to head back inside. 

*

Stevie heads to the diary room to do her session about the competition while the other five players are told not to change out of their costumes just yet. They all have to stay inside as the backyard is now locked so they could remove everything from the competition. 

David goes to sit in the living room, almost throwing himself down on the sofa. Patrick and Alexis come to sit with him. “I did so bad in that,” he tells them before moving to sit up.

Alexis is sitting in the nomination chair closest to him as Patrick takes a seat next to him but not too close. He tells him, “It definitely did not look easy.”

“Plus you get motion sickness pretty easily,” Alexis chimes in.

“I’m aware, thanks.”

Patrick looks around and no one is coming towards them so he says in a hushed tone, “At least Stevie won right? She won’t use it.”

David looks at him in warning so he doesn’t say anything incriminating about them working with Stevie in front of Alexis. “Hopefully not, I have to talk to her though.”

“It wouldn’t make sense for her to use it,” Alexis adds.

Stevie makes her way out of the diary room, she nods at them before heading to her room to change. “David, please make your way to the diary room,” production tells him.

He stands and heads in for his turn to recap the PoV competition.

*

Later that night, after they’ve all had dinner - slop for the have nots and a nice meal prepared by Ray for the haves - and the yard has been reopened, Jocelyn, Mutt, Ronnie, and Twyla are sitting on the sofa outside. 

“There’s no chance she uses it right?” Mutt asks them, nodding to where Stevie is on the hammock with David. 

“Doubtful,” Ronnie chimes in. “She’s very close to him.”

“She may be close to him but Stevie’s smart, she would use it if it was good for her game,” Twyla tells them. They look at her and she shrugs, “I shared a room with her for a week, we’ve talked. She’s basically in here by herself, especially with Jake now gone, she’s really a lone wolf. You may be able to convince her to save one of you.”

Jocelyn takes in what Twyla says. She’s in an alliance with Twyla and Ronnie so if Twyla is telling her there could be a chance - even if it’s small - that Stevie uses the veto then she’s going to take it. She looks to Mutt next to her and says, “We should talk to her. Not together because then that will just prove David’s point further that we’re a duo. I can talk to her first and let you know how it goes, then you can talk to her?” 

“Sounds good,” Mutt agrees. He looks at his mom, tearing his eyes away from the swinging motion of the hammock where his fate lies in the hands of Stevie and David. “I know you’d want her to use it on you but if I stay on the block come Thursday, I will be voted out.”

“How many is it to stay this week?” Jocelyn asks.

“Five,” Ronnie tells her. “Four but then David would break the tie.”

“If we can convince him to take me down and put Ray up instead, you would have our three votes and I’m sure Rachel and Alexis would vote for you too,” Jocelyn tries. 

Mutt thinks it over before shaking his head. “Still too risky but we’ll see what we can do. As long as we’re both not sitting next to each other we have a chance to both be here next week.”

*

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Stevie asks, nodding to what’s behind David’s shoulder. 

“Okay, I’m not going to turn and look and make it obvious so who are we talking about?” 

“Jocelyn, Mutt, Twyla, and Ronnie,” Stevie supplies. “They’re sitting on the sofa and keep looking over here. Well, Mutt is.”

“I don’t know, probably about how they’re going to convince you to save one of them,” David tells her. 

“Probably.”

They continue to rock on the hammock together in silence until Stevie asks, “So you want Jocelyn out right?”

“Correct.”

“Why her over Mutt?” she eyes him.

“Seriously? Jocelyn is way smarter than he is. Yes, he’s physically more of a threat but if he’s out then Patrick is one of the most physically threatening players left, apart from Ted. And we don’t want Patrick to be targeted right?” he asks her since she’s still a little bitter one of her closest allies was voted out.

“Right,” she tells him. He still looks unconvinced so she digs her heel into his leg. “I’m over it, stop looking at me like that.”

“Okay, good.”

“Do you think the votes will fall the way you want them to though?”

“You and Patrick will vote her out. I can get Alexis and she can get Ted but that’s still only four,” David tells her.

“You’d break the tie though,” Stevie says, doing the bit of math in her head.

“I don’t want to break a tie,” he tells her. “You know what horrible position that would put me in? I can’t play next week. If I break it and send Jocelyn out then I’ll have the four people and Mutt coming after me next week.”

“So if we can’t get a fifth vote?”

“Then you can all vote Mutt out,” he says with a small shrug. “I’d rather it be unanimous against him and have my target still here than me having to break a tie and getting fucked over next week.”

“Makes sense,” Stevie agrees. “I wonder when they’ll come talk to me about using the veto, they haven’t stopped looking over at us.”

“What are you going to tell them when they do talk to you?” 

“Just that I don’t know who your target is and will have to talk to you before making my decision since I don’t want to make any enemies,” she tells him, shrugging. “Something like that.”

“That’s good. I’m sure they all know we’re close but it’s better to just act like we aren’t close in a game way and more just on a personal level - that way they won’t think of us as a pair or anything.”

“Agreed.”

**DAY 39**

Stevie’s in the pool, leaning against the ledge. The sun is beating down on her as it’s early afternoon. David tries with all he can to not laugh at her when he approaches. She’s all in black - her bathing suit, bathing suit shall thing, and her big black hat and sunglasses covering her face. 

“What?” she asks him when he sits near her, letting the bottom part of his legs and his feet soak in the water. 

“Are you going to a pool party themed funeral?” he asks, shaking his head, completely amused.

She glares at him through her black sunglasses, “No. I burn easily. You should recognize it since your boyfriend’s just as pale.”

“Shh,” he hushes, looking around. They’re alone, no one within ear shot but you can never be too careful here. He eyes her and adds, “Doesn’t black attract the sun more?”

“Can I help you with something or did you just come over here to annoy me?” Stevie snaps back, lifting her head off of where it was resting on her arms. 

David leans back a bit, feigning being appalled. “Well excuse you,” he says. “I wanted to know if either of them have come to talk to you yet.”

“Not yet,” she tells him. She sees Mutt and Patrick working out over on the other side of the yard. She sees Mutt look over here quickly before putting his attention back on Patrick, helping him with his weights. “I wonder how they’ll play it - like who will they say to use it on.”

“I’m sure Mutt will only think of himself,” David tells her. “He knows he’s a huge target sitting on the block.”

“True,” Stevie agrees. “You think Jocelyn would be her motherly self and ask me to use it on him or will she fight for herself?”

“Mmm,” David hums, considering it. “Could go either way.”

“Helpful.”

“What? I don’t know her well enough,” he groans, turning to look behind him where his boyfriend is still working out. He can’t help but stare since Patrick and Mutt decided to work out shirtless it’s like a goddamn soft core porno over there. 

The angle hurts his neck so he gets in the pool, glad he put swim trunks on and leans against it like Stevie so he can watch them better. 

“You’re ridiculous,” she tells him, shaking her head.

David barely registers what she says as he’s too encapsulated by the scene in front of him. 

*

Stevie leaves the pool, heading inside to fill up her water bottle and needing some cool air. She takes her hat and sunglasses off, leaving them on the table as she fills her bottle and leans against the counter. Rachel is baking some kind of dessert so she gets out of her way. She reaches the table when Jocelyn walks into the kitchen from the washroom. “Hey Stevie,” she says when she spots her.

“Hi.”

“Can we chat?” she asks with a bright smile.

“Sure,” she says softly. “Where do you wanna -”

“In the lounge room?” 

“Okay,” she says simply before Jocelyn leads them to the room by the washroom.

They sit facing each other, legs crossed for Stevie and legs extended for Jocelyn. “I wanted to know where your head was at with using the veto or not,” she tells her.

“Oh, well, I’m not sure yet,” Stevie lies. She has zero plans of using it no matter what either nominee says but pretending like she might use it and listening to their speeches is part of the game. Who knows, maybe one of them will say something to get her to change her mind and bring new information to her alliance.

“I was hoping you weren’t sure. I’d really like you to use the veto. Obviously being up against my son is not ideal for me but it’s not ideal for you either. You and David are viewed as a pair. If we get split up, you two are the next pair people will want to split up,” Jocelyn tells her.

“We’re viewed as a pair huh? We don’t even talk much game like at all,” she lies. Jocelyn saying this means she views them as a pair and this is just making things worse for herself and they will _definitely_ need her out this week.

Jocelyn nods her head. “If you use the veto on me or Mutt and the replacement for one of us goes home, it keeps your chances of being targeted lowered,” she mentions.

“Who are you hoping would be the replacement?”

“I think Ray would be a good option,” she says in a hushed voice. “I’d have to talk to David about this because you wouldn’t be making the new nomination.”

“Right.”

“Ray is everywhere. He’s friendly with every single person, he’s playing the best social game. If he makes it to the end, he could very well win the whole thing,” she tells her.

“You’re not wrong,” Stevie agrees. She’s been watching Ray. It’s hard not to. He is everywhere and it’s hard to hate that since he is so kind and friendly with everyone. He bakes, he cooks, he cleans, he always has a smile on his face. He’s a very likeable guy and if he’s in the end, he definitely could win.

Jocelyn smiles as she sees the wheels in Stevie’s head turning. “I know you probably need to speak with David before making up your mind since he is the HoH so you could mention Ray as a possible renom if that’s something you agree with. Just something for you both to consider,” she tells her.

*

Jocelyn leaves Stevie in the room as she heads outside into the yard. She sees Mutt working out with Patrick so she decides to wait to talk with him about her talk. She joins Ronnie and Twyla on the sofa where they’re hanging out in the shade. Alexis and Ted are sunbathing, she saw Rachel baking in the kitchen and talking to Ray who was watching her as he sat at the kitchen island, and David is in the pool. Everyone seems to be having a really chill day so far.

“I spoke to Stevie,” she mentions to her gals. 

“How’d it go?” Twyla asks.

“Good,” she smiles. “I gave her a lot to consider and she’s still in there so she must be thinking about it.”

“Hopefully it works,” Ronnie tells her. “Either way, you’d be staying against him but it would be sweet if she uses it.”

“Totally,” Twyla agrees. 

“Hopefully she will. I gave her a lot to think about with Ray. She agreed that he has a great social game and could possibly win if he’s in the end. If she takes that to David and he agrees that Ray is a bigger threat then maybe we will get our wish, gals,” Jocelyn informs them, a smile on her face. Twyla squeals - not too loudly - excited at the possibility of that happening. 

They see Mutt and Patrick finish up. Mutt walks over to them as Patrick wipes at his face with his t-shirt. Patrick goes to sit by the pool as Mutt joins them on the sofa.

“I’m gonna go shower soon but wanted to know if you talked to Stevie yet?” he asks her from where he sits next to her.

“I did, I was just telling the girls. It seems like she’s open to possibly using it on one of us. I mentioned Ray being a good replacement so she might bring that to David but she’s considering it,” she informs him quietly.

He nods. “That’s good. I’ll talk to you later.” He stands, making his way into the house.

*

Stevie comes out of the lounge room and heads back to the kitchen. She makes it to the table in the kitchen before she hears the backdoor opening. Mutt walks in and spots her instantly. “Hey Stevie, do you have a minute to chat?” he asks her.

“Sure,” she tells him. May as well get this one done now too. 

“Wanna go upstairs?” he asks her.

She shrugs and motions for him to head up. They make their way up the spiral staircase where Mutt leads them to the seats across the HoH room where the chess board is, and a sofa against the railing. They sit on opposite ends of the sofa, facing each other. 

“I just wanted to talk to you about the veto,” Mutt tells her.

“I figured,” she says.

“Yeah,” he chuckles. “Um, I feel like we’ve spoken game before and that we have a good bond - it’s not that tight but you’re definitely not someone I would target. I would really love for you to use the veto on me. If I stay on the block on eviction night, it’s guaranteed I’m going home.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why is it guaranteed you’d go home?” she asks him. She knows that Jocelyn is the target and she knows physically Mutt is a bigger threat but she wants to know his opinion on why he’d automatically be evicted.

“I love my mom but I’m definitely a bigger threat than she is. She can play that card - the mom card - people will vote for her to stay because she has a baby, she’s kind to everyone, she cooks and cleans. They see me and they see a big physical threat, someone who has won a competition—”

“—She won a competition too,” Stevie interjects.

“She has, but Stevie - when you compare us, to everyone else, I’m the bigger target to evict,” he tells her. 

“What if you aren’t the target though?” she asks him.

His eyes widen. “Why, did David say I’m not his target?” he asks, hopeful.

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “We haven’t talked about who his target is,” she lies. “I’m just saying - if you aren’t the target, would you feel better about staying nominated with Jocelyn?”

“No, it wouldn’t change anything,” Mutt tells her. “I don’t want to be sitting on the block on eviction night. I know that I’m fucked if that happens. Here’s what I can promise you if you use it to keep me safe. I will not target you, I will not nominate you or backdoor you, and I think if we have each other's back, we could get very far together.”

Stevie wants to roll her eyes but doesn’t. She nods her head like she’s considering his offer. “You’ve given me something to consider,” she tells him. 

*

The day moves by slowly but without any moments to have a meeting. Finally, after dinner when most have headed back outside to either play pool or just lounge on the hammock or sofa, David goes up to his room, claiming to be heading up there to lounge and listen to music. He waits there as slowly Patrick makes his way up and then Stevie a little bit later. 

Patrick and David are lying on the bed side by side when Stevie walks in. “Finally,” David comments as she makes her way inside.

There’s space between them on the bed that if it were anyone else coming up they wouldn’t think anything of it - other than them both wanting to be comfortable. Patrick’s more in a half sitting, half laying down position, with his back propped up against the headboard. They were sharing the earphones listening to the iPod filled with David’s song choices. David puts it away as Stevie crawls onto the bed to sit by their legs, in between them. She crosses her legs and props her elbows onto her knees. 

“So what happened with the talks?” David asks her.

“Jocelyn came to talk to me first,” she tells them.

“Figures,” David adds.

“Yeah so she said that if I use the veto on either of them that she wants Ray to go up in their place.”

“Ray? Really?” Patrick asks with a small chuckle. “He’s like the nicest guy.”

“Exactly,” Stevie and David say at the same time. Patrick looks between them. Stevie adds, “She was basically saying that because he’s the nicest guy that if he makes it to the end, he can easily win the whole thing.”

“She’s not wrong,” David says.

“That’s what I said.”

“And what was Mutt saying?” Patrick asks.

“To use it on him because he will hands down leave if he’s on the block come eviction. He was also promising me things that obviously aren’t true,” she says, shaking her head.

“Like?”

“He wouldn’t target me or nominate me and if we work together we can get far in this game,” she tells them amused. 

Patrick snorts as David chuckles. “Obviously you told him you’d consider it,” David tells her.

“Obviously,” Stevie agrees. “Oh and get this - so Jocelyn told me that people view us as a pair,” she motions between her and David. 

“Aka she views us as a pair,” David fills in.

“Exactly.”

“This is just proving more and more why she _has_ to go this week,” David says.

“Maybe it would be beneficial to use the veto on Mutt and put someone up that Jocelyn will definitely leave against,” Patrick suggests.

“Yeah, it’s something to consider,” David says before groaning. “I just don’t want to have more blood on my hands by nominating a third person.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if I want to even use it though. That would tell people I’m close to Mutt - which I’m not - and make me a bigger target,” Stevie adds.

“That’s true,” Patrick says as David nods, both of them agreeing with her.

“I mean, either of them leaves, it's a win for our alliance. They’re a power duo that will be split up no matter what. If Mutt leaves, well, we got a physical threat out. If Jocelyn leaves, which I hope she does, then we got our target out and a strong social and strategic player,” David tells them.

“Leaving it the same ensures that a big threat leaves regardless of who it is and keeps blood off of Stevie’s hands, and less on yours,” Patrick tells them. “Once that’s done, we just need to convince one other person to evict Jocelyn. I could try getting Rachel.”

David groans. “I mean, she might be the only option. Twyla and Ronnie won’t vote for her. Ray is probably threatened by Mutt so he probably won’t either,” he says.

“Not unless he finds out she’s targeting him,” Stevie points out.

“Oohh, good point,” David says.

“If you tell Ray about your conversation though and he says something to her won’t you be in trouble with her if she somehow stays?” Patrick asks, concerned. 

“It would be an issue if Ray doesn’t vote her out and she stays,” David tells him.

“Why would he keep her if he knew she was actively coming after him though?” Stevie asks.

Patrick shrugs a shoulder, “True but people do crazy things, especially when it comes to money. If it’s better for him to keep her over Mutt he could do it and then you’ve exposed yourself by taking information she gave you to someone else and then you’re the biggest target putting our alliance in jeopardy.”

David groans again. “This is giving me an aneurysm.” Patrick chuckles as he takes David’s hand and squeezes it tight, reassuringly, as he soothes his thumb across it. 

“We can talk more about it tomorrow,” Stevie suggests. They both nod in agreement. “So we’ve decided to leave it the same right?”

“Correct,” David says after he and Patrick share a look. 

“Alright so the other stuff can wait,” she says before getting off the bed. “Should probably leave now, been here long enough.”

“True, I should too,” Patrick says. 

“Well, don’t leave me at the same time,” David tells them, pouting.

Patrick and Stevie look at each other and he says, “I should first, been here longer.”

“Fine,” she relents, plopping back down on the bed. 

Patrick kisses David’s lips in a quick kiss before getting off the bed and leaving the room. 

*

That night after everyone’s in their own beds and Patrick snuck into the HoH room, he and David are snuggled up together in bed, holding each other close. David’s got his head on his chest with his hand making small little movements over his stomach on top of his t-shirt.

“Whatcha thinking about?” he asks him softly.

“This week, the veto, all of it,” David tells him in the darkness of the room. 

“Don’t stress too much about it,” Patrick tells him, trying to be reassuring. “Either way we are getting out a strong competitor. It’s a good week. You’re doing amazing as HoH.”

David smiles against him, turning his head slightly to press a kiss over his heart - this time Patrick is lying closest to the door. “That’s very nice of you to say,” he whispers.

“It’s the truth,” he tells him honestly. “I know this has been your dream to be here and now more than ever to open your own store and I wouldn’t lie to you about this. You’re doing a great job, David.”

“Thanks,” he says softly, hugging him closer. 

Patrick smiles and kisses the top of his head. “Try to get some sleep,” he tells him.

David takes a deep breath and releases it, snuggling in closer. “Goodnight, Patrick,” he whispers.

“Goodnight, David.”

**DAY 40**

Alexis is in the HoH room with David the next morning under the excuse she's there to discuss the veto ceremony with him. But really she's rooting around his gift basket looking for some products she can use. She pulls out a lip balm and smells it before carefully putting some on.

"What are you doing?!"

"Just testing your lip balm." She carefully presses down on it and then drops it back in the basket. "Look, I flattened it out. All good."

"You're disgusting."

"I'm not the one who has literally eaten out of the trash, David." Movement on the screen catches her eye, and she points to it. “Looks like you’re getting company.”

David looks at the screen and watches as Jocelyn makes her way up the stairs. He calls for her to come in when she knocks on the door.

“Am I interrupting? Or do you have a minute to talk?”

“We’re done,” Alexis says cheerfully, making a hasty exit.

“Give it back, Alexis.” David holds out his hand when she tries to walk past him.

She huffs. “Ugh, fine. Here.” Dropping the mask jar in his hand, she scowls. “But don’t come looking in my basket if I win HoH.”

Jocelyn gets comfortable on the couch, waiting until the door closes behind Alexis to start her pitch. “I’m not sure if Stevie talked to you yet, but…” She trails off waiting for a reaction from David. Getting none, she continues, “I asked her to use the veto on me. And I suggested someone who I think is a much bigger target. Ray.”

David shrugs, playing with the jar in his hands. “He’s not much of a competitor.”

“But he is a social player,” Jocelyn counters. She begins giving him the same speech she gave Stevie.

Nodding once she wraps up, David smiles. “Thanks, Jocelyn. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Oh, you don’t want to talk more?” Jocelyn asks, disappointed.

“Nope." David gets up and opens the door for her. "I don't even know Stevie's plan for the veto," he lies. "So I have to think about everything."

"Okay." Jocelyn leaves, clearly disappointed. 

David closes the door behind her and sighs. Jocelyn isn't an idiot. She picked up on David and Stevie together and she correctly identified Ray's social game as a risk. Even without her knowing the truth about where he's from, she's still a major threat. And she needs to go home, sooner rather than later.

He looks at the jar in his hands. He was going to save the face mask for eviction night, but he could use a little relaxation now. 

*

Stevie sticks her head out to the door to the backyard where everyone is waiting. "Hey, it's time for the veto ceremony."

Everyone gathers in the living room, Jocelyn and Mutt in the two nomination chairs.

"This is the veto meeting," Stevie starts. "Jocelyn and Mutt have been nominated for eviction, and I have the power to remove one of you from the block. You each have the chance to tell me why I should use the veto on you. Jocelyn, you're first."

Jocelyn stands up, smiling brightly. "First off, I want to say how much this game has meant to me because I got to spend time with Mutt again." She looks over at Mutt and puts a hand on his shoulder. "I love that we got this chance to reconnect. I know our family will be stronger now no matter what."

Twyla claps, awkwardly stopping when no one else joins her.

"I don't want our time together to be done, so hopefully you'll save one of us."

"Mutt, your turn," Stevie says once Jocelyn sits back down.

"Uh, I'm not really sure what to say." Mutt shrugs. "We've talked so you know where I stand. I want to keep playing this game, and I think people are looking at me like I'm a threat when they should be looking at me like an ally they could have." 

Stevie takes a quick look at everyone's faces, noting that no one seems to be impressed by his speech. "I'm sorry, but this is the first time either of you tried to talk game with me. And I don't think that's enough to convince me to make waves on your behalf. So, I'm choosing not to use the Power of Veto." She puts the necklace in the box and snaps the lid shut. "This meeting is adjourned."

*

Patricks sneaks into the HoH room later than he'd like, Ray having caught him in conversation when he first tried leaving his bedroom. He expects David to already be asleep, but he finds his boyfriend sitting up in bed, looking at one of the cameras.

"Hey, everything okay?" he asks, slipping into the bed beside him, concerned.

"Yeah." David cuddles into Patrick's side, putting his head on his chest. The beat of his heart calms him down. "I was just thinking about Jocelyn talking about family earlier. And how all our families are watching us. What do you think yours are thinking?"

Patrick wraps his arms around David, slipping one hand under his shirt to rub his back absentmindedly. "I hope they think I'm playing a good game."

"What about me?" He says it so quietly that Patrick almost misses it.

Patrick leans away just enough to make eye contact with David. "They'll love you. My mom is probably keeping a list of every food she's seeing you enjoy so she can make you a big dinner."

"But you can't be sure how I'm coming across off on TV. Maybe they think you're dating a villain."

"Im-poss-i-ble." Patrick kisses him with each syllable. "There's no amount of editing that can turn you into a villain. And there's no way anyone can edit out how happy you make me. That's what they're going to see. That's what they'll care about."

David blushes and hides his face in the crook of Patrick's neck. "You make me happy, too. I've never cared enough to worry about what someone's family would think."

"I'm honored," Patrick says without a trace of teasing. "I hope you know that as much as I don't want our time in the house to end, I'm also really looking forward to it. It'll be harder, not seeing you this often and having to figure out long distance logistics. But I know we'll make it work. I can't wait to show you all my favorite places and for you to show me yours. I can't wait to have alone time away from the cameras so there's nothing holding us back except for potential noise complaints from our neighbors, which we won't care about anyway. But most importantly, I can't wait to show everyone I know that no matter what happens on finale night, I've won because I met you."

"How do you always know the right thing to say?"

Patrick wipes away the tears gathering in David's eyes before they have a chance to fall. "You make it easy."

Easy. That's the first time anyone has said David makes anything easy.

"You make everything easy, too," David says softly, kissing him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Which half of the mother-son duo will be leaving? Who will become the next HoH?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! We know everyone's probably watching and waiting for news on the US election. If you need a distraction, the next chapter is here. We added a link to the HoH competition if you want to see how it's played on BB16. Go to around 11:06 in the video.  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter and that it's a welcomed moment of levity in such a crazy time. Thanks for the continued support. It means so much! 💙  
> #BiddenHarris2020 !!!!

**DAY 43**

Campaigning for how the votes will fall on eviction night is happening into the same day. David secured votes from Patrick, Stevie, Alexis and Ted to evict Jocelyn. He still would need one more so the vote isn’t tied. He doesn’t want to break the tie because either way, a big threat will be leaving and he doesn’t want to be a bigger target by making that decision. Each of them is seeing if they can get that vote. Patrick has tried getting Rachel’s vote but she seemed very adamant about keeping Jocelyn because she doesn’t think she would go after her. They already know Ronnie and Twyla are also voting to keep Jocelyn so really the only option is Ray. 

If all they would have spoken to him and Ray flipped. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of a vote. You’ll end up being the next target. Stevie begged to tell him about Jocelyn wanting to get him to be put up but they outweighed her by deciding not to tell her. If Ray decided to still vote to keep her and she wins the next HoH, they will be her targets and they cannot have two members up on the block. 

They get ready for the live eviction, knowing they won’t have enough votes to not make it a tie. They agree to just vote Mutt out.

*

The camera pans back onto Moira as the show comes back from commercial. “David and Patrick have been working together in this game from the very beginning but have also made things official in their relationship by calling each other boyfriend. Here’s what David’s father, Johnny Rose, and Patrick’s parents Marcy and Clint Brewer had to say about the budding new relationship and the start of them becoming a power couple in the game,” she tells the audience.

The camera pans into a small town in Illinois and a white house with a picket fence. Two people appear on the screen in their home. “Hi, I’m Clint, I’m Patrick’s father,” Clint says.

“And I’m Marcy, I’m Patrick’s mother,” Marcy says with a sweet smile. 

“As a kid Patrick has always been a take charge kind of guy. From when he started on the baseball team to when he was graduating from university and starting his career. He has always been so put together that when he and Rachel broke up for the -” he huffs.

“For the last time,” Marcy supplies. 

Clint smiles at his wife. “For the last time,” he agrees. “He seemed relieved and when he told us he was coming onto a reality competition show to win half a million dollars, I said ‘ _sounds right up your alley, son’_ ,” he laughs. 

“He’s always been so competitive,” Marcy says with a smile. “Seeing him play this game and with David. It’s been the greatest gift to watch, hasn’t it?”

Clint smiles, “It has. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile this much in a really long time or ever, honestly.”

“Or laugh. His beautiful laugh.”

Clint nods. “Seeing our boy this happy, it’s been such a joy to watch and root for. They are going to dominate this game together,” he tells the camera. 

“Oh yes,” Marcy agrees. “They’ve already started with back to back HoH’s.”

“And what they have with Stevie and then the other alliance with Alexis and Ted,” Clint says. “They’re playing an amazing game and we’re so proud to watch our son play this game and do so well at it and also for potentially finding true love.”

Marcy smiles, a tear slipping out of her eye. “His happiness is all that matters to us, and we cannot wait to meet David.”

The next video plays and the camera pans to a suite where Johnny Rose is sitting on a sofa. “Hello, I’m Johnny Rose. I am David’s father,” he introduces. “Getting to watch my son _and_ daughter on television is something else. Alexis, she had a reality show at one time in her life, it was called ‘A Little Bit Alexis’ where they documented her life and her starting her career as a pop star. David hated being on her show. The cameras followed her so when they saw each other the cameras would also be there. He seemed to have gotten over it though because he’s playing such a fantastic game. He’s always loved this - Big Brother. He never mentioned wanting to be on it until he told me he was going to be on. His mother - my wife, Moira, is the host this year and my two kids are competing. It’s been such an absolute joy watching them all play. My kids seemed to also find some love in the house. I hope they are being careful - remember, we have to be careful with our hearts and our parts. They seem like really great guys. Ted, he’s very funny and kind - not Alexis’s usual type but a very welcomed change. Patrick, well, I like him a lot. He seems very respectful and a likeable guy. Their hiding of their relationship is smart for their game but seems to be hard for both of them to handle. I’m very proud of how my son is playing this game, he’s positioned in a very good spot in the house with multiple alliances and his partner, Patrick. I see them making it very far in this game together.”

*

“Good evening, houseguests,” Moira greets the house as they sit in the living room awaiting the vote and eviction. 

“Hi, Moira!”

“Jocelyn and Mutt, you have been nominated for eviction. How hard has this been being up against each other and having to campaign? Jocelyn?” She asks.

“Oh, Moira, it’s been the worst week. The only campaigning happening was giving our housemates a valid reason to keep either of us. No ill words for my darling son. He’s amazing and I’d be happy if he stayed, just as much, if not more, if he did and I left,” Jocelyn says, holding Mutt’s hand where they rest on the center of their chairs.

“Mutt, how has this week been for you?” 

Mutt sighs. “It’s been tough. I never thought I’d get this opportunity and to do this with my mom and to be given that chance to reconnect, it’s been the best gift I could have ever received,” he tells her.

“Well, you each have thirty seconds to plead your case to your housemates before they cast their votes for eviction. Mutt, you go first,” Moira tells them.

Mutt stands and addresses his housemates, “I’ve had an incredible time playing this game with you all. I do hope it isn’t my last day but if it is thank you for making this such an amazing experience. Thank you to Big Brother for reuniting me with my mother who if not for, it’s possible it never would have happened. I’m eternally grateful for that. I just want to let you all now that if you vote to keep me I will be an asset to your game, I hope you see that but if not, no hard feelings. Thank you.”

“Jocelyn, your turn.”

Jocelyn stands now and says, “I want to reiterate what Mutt said, thank you so much Big Brother for bringing my baby back to me.” She looks to Mutt and takes his hand. “I love you so much and I am so happy we got to play this game together.” She looks at her housemates and says, “Houseguests, if I am better for your game then please vote to keep me, if not I have no hard feelings as you would be getting to keep my darling son. Thank you all for such a fun experience. I love you Rollie and Rollie Jr.!” 

“Thank you both,” Moira tells them when Jocelyn sits. “It’s now time for the live vote and eviction. The two nominees are not allowed to vote. In the event of a tie, David you will cast the deciding vote. One at a time the rest of you will head into the diary room and cast your vote to evict. Twyla you’re up first, please head to the diary room.”

*

“All of the votes are in. Once I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say their goodbyes, gather his or her belongings and walk out the front door. By a vote of eight to zero, Mutt you have been evicted from the Big Brother house,” Moira reveals.

Mutt nods as he and Jocelyn stand. He hugs his mother as everyone stands and moves out into the hall. Mutt hugs everyone on his way out and hugs his mom once more at the door. “Have a great time, you guys, we’ll party once this is all over,” he says before leaving.

They hear the audience cheer as he walks out and they all head over to the memory wall to watch as his picture turns to black and white. After a few moments, Big Brother tells them to head outside into the yard for the next Head of Household competition. They walk out to see their yard transformed into a chicken coop. There are large cages and they are each directed to step into one of the cages. David sits off to the side to watch.

Moira’s voice comes over the speakers. “Hello again houseguests, it’s time for the next Head of Household competition. Free from the threat of eviction, one player will have to nominate two of their housemates for eviction. David, as outgoing HoH, you are not eligible to compete. This competition is called [‘Fly The Coop’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFX36X6i0_s%20) and here’s how it works. Use your fingers to maneuver the eggs through the course to the slot. The first houseguest to get all their eggs safely through their slot will be the new Head of Household. Does everyone understand?” 

“Yes!”

“Great, this competition begins now,” she tells them.

Each houseguest starts, taking hold of their egg with their fingers through the course. Some immediately drop their egg, some struggle to even grab hold of it, and a couple manage to keep a steady grip on the egg as they maneuver it through the course. 

It’s now week 7 and it’s halfway through the game. A lot of people want to win this HoH but Stevie really wants it. Her closest ally, David, can’t play, and she only trusts one other person in this house, Patrick, so it’s up to them to do well in this competition. There are some people she would feel safe with if they won but with Jocelyn staying and pointing out that her and David are a duo, she can’t risk her or any of her allies winning so she _has_ to win this.

She struggles at first but she realizes that she has to go slow. She has to slowly move her fingers through the course whilst also holding onto the egg with her fingers and not putting too much pressure on it and crushing it by accident.

This is going to be a long competition.

*

“Twyla is in the lead right now, followed closely by Stevie,” David announces to them a little while later. Moira has said goodnight and it’s now on David to host the competition.

Stevie tries not to think about Twyla being in the lead. She can drop an egg or crush it and Stevie can pass her. She focuses solely on her own progress. She gets another egg into her slot and goes for the next one. 

“Stevie is now tied with Twyla,” David says after she gets another egg in. “Followed by Rachel and Ted.”

Stevie sees she doesn’t have very many eggs left and could potentially win this competition so she continues to slowly maneuver her eggs through the course without dropping or crushing any. 

“Stevie is on her last egg,” David announces when she is finally almost done. “Twyla has two eggs left, this could be anyone's game.”

Stevie gets her last egg in the slot and David announces, “Congratulations Stevie! You are the new Head of Household!” 

Stevie steps out of her cage and heads over to David who places the HoH key around her neck and hugs her. “Congratulations,” he tells her before letting her go.

She hugs everyone as they emerge from their cages and congratulate her on the win. They’re let inside and are locked in while crew members dismantle the competition. One at a time people head into the diary room to recap the competition. 

*

David moved his things back down to his old room earlier that day so once they were allowed back inside after the competition he headed to his room. He’s thankful to be alone as he jumps up and down a couple times in joy that one of his closest allies just won. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!” he exclaims in a hushed tone, pointing excitedly to one of the cameras. “Oh my God, yes!” he says again, looking directly into the camera. “This couldn’t have gone any better,” he mumbles to himself.

The door opens and in walks Patrick. They grin at each other as he makes his way over. He hugs him tight as they both let out a laugh of excited energy. “This couldn’t have gone any better,” Patrick tells him echoing his own words.

“It’s perfect, it’s her turn to get some blood on her hands and it keeps our alliance in power,” David tells him. “I’m _so_ happy right now.”

“It’s a good look on you,” Patrick tells him, a teasing smile on his face as he leans forward, capturing his lips in a sweet brief kiss. “I’m going to miss having the HoH room to ourselves, though.”

David pulls him in for another kiss. “Something tells me we’ll find a way to get some alone time.”

They don’t stay in there long, Patrick leaving too quickly back out the door he came in. David changes out of his jeans and into his black joggers before heading out to rejoin the others as well.

*

Stevie pokes her head out of the diary room and calls, “Who wants to see my HoH room?”

Surrounding houseguests clap and show their enthusiasm as she leads the way up to the HoH room. She unlocks the door and steps inside followed by her housemates. The room is always the same but this time it’s with touches of Stevie. There are framed pictures of her in various stages of her life - a small child at Halloween, graduating college, at a house party. There’s a photo of her and her aunt Maureen when she was in high school. Her goodie basket as everything she requested. She pulls out the letter wondering who it could be from but ultimately already knowing. She smiles as she sees the name at the bottom of the card. 

“It’s from my aunt Maureen, the one I work for at the motel,” she tells the group. They all sit around waiting for her to read it. “My Stevie Nicks, you’re doing so good, my girl. The nurse is helping me write, I’m not doing all that well but I don’t miss an episode. And don’t you even dare think about leaving because I told you I’m not doing well. You stay in there and you win that money. Watching you on TV is the greatest joy of my life. You’re the greatest joy I have.” She feels the tears slipping and wipes at them with her wrist before continuing, “You’re kicking butt and I couldn’t be prouder of you. Keep fighting just like I am. Can’t wait to see you when it’s all over. You got this, my girl. Love you until the end of time, aunt Maureen.”

“Awww,” the room erupts when she finishes. She feels arms hugging her and she lets them. She chuckles softly to avoid more tears. She wipes them away and says, “Thanks Aunt Maureen.” 

Soon enough people start heading out of the room, leaving their congratulations before they go. Not really wanting anyone else in the house to talk nominations with her yet, Stevie doesn’t linger in the HoH room either. She heads back downstairs to join her housemates. Heading outside, she finds Patrick and Ray playing pool and asks to play the winner. The game is almost done so it’s not long before she’s playing against Patrick. Ray goes back inside, leaving them alone. As they go about resetting the table, she sees that there aren’t many outside tonight. Alexis is on the hammock with Twyla, and Rachel and Ted are on the sofa. Everyone else must be inside. Patrick starts, breaking the balls apart and landing both a striped and a couple of colored balls into the sockets. He chooses solid colors and goes for his next shot.

Stevie sees David come outside and walks over to them. They nod at each other before she goes to make her first shot. “Did you think about noms yet?” David asks her quietly after she shoots.

“Not much,” she replies before going to make her next shot. 

“Okay,” David hesitates. “Did you not want to talk about it tonight?”

“No, we can,” she says, looking around carefully to make sure no one is eavesdropping. “But later? Put all your recent experience sneaking around to good use and join me upstairs when no one’s paying attention?”

“I thought I made it clear I wasn’t interested in being in a throuple with you,” David jokes.

“Funny.” Stevie turns to Patrick. “I’ll ask you instead. Can you and your boyfriend meet me upstairs later?”

“We’ll be there,” Patrick promises her.

“What, no freaking out over me using the b word?” It dawns on her as she looks back and forth between two of them. “Wow, congrats, I guess.”

“You could show a little more enthusiasm.” David crosses his arms. 

“I’ll order you a fruit basket the second I’m out of the house,” she deadpans.

They’re quiet as Patrick shoots his shot. “Um, you’re not feeling like a third wheel, are you?” he asks quietly. 

“I won veto last week and I’m HoH this week. I’m holding my own, thank you very much,” Stevie replies, rolling her eyes. “Plus, I’m about to kick your ass in this game,” she adds, waving her pool cue.

“We’ll see about that.”

*

David and Patrick head into the bathroom to get ready for the night together. David takes the first shower, Patrick setting up David’s various skincare bottles for him on the vanity. They swap places after, David settling in front of the mirror to do his night skin routine while Patrick showers. They linger as long as possible, surprised that no one interrupts their alone time. David swipes a little moisturizer on Patrick’s face, following it with the briefest of kisses on his lips. They brush their teeth side-by-side, enjoying the simple domesticity.

When they enter their bedroom, they’re surprised to see Alexis and Ted each sitting on a bed.

“Shouldn’t you still be in the have not room?” David asks them.

“Totally going there in a minute,” Alexis says. “But we wanted to talk first. What do you think Stevie is going to do? Are we safe?”

David shrugs, conflicted about keeping information from her. “Patrick and I were just saying we should head up there to talk to her before anyone else does to make sure we’re all safe.”

“Should we come with?” Alexis sits up straighter. “I haven’t had a chance to talk much game with Stevie yet.”

“And make it obvious we’re all together?” David shakes his head. “No, but you two can stay downstairs and make sure no one realizes we’re upstairs.”

“You can count on us,” Ted replies cheerfully.

“Ugh, fine, David. But next time, it’s my turn.”

*

With Alexis and Ted keeping watch and ready to create a distraction, David and Patrick head up to the HoH room. David flops down on the bed where Stevie is going through her basket, while Patrick chooses the couch. David immediately begins picking through her basket. She tries to swat his hand away.

“You totally pilfered through mine last week. You owe me,” David counters, pulling out a chocolate bar. “So what’s the plan?”

“I’m thinking of putting Jocelyn up,” she says, grabbing the chocolate bar from him to pull off a piece before handing it back to him. “She’s going to want to retaliate against you.”

David winces. “Yeah, I stand by what I said last week. She’s still a threat. A bigger one now that she knows how I feel.”

“The question is who I should put up with her.”

“Let me guess,” Patrick says, noticing the glance David and Stevie share. “You’re thinking Rachel?”

“Yeah or Ray,” Stevie confirms.

“Ray is a floater,” David concedes, glancing nervously at Patrick. “He’ll float right to the end if we’re not careful.”

“You can say what you’re really thinking, David.” Patrick knows David is holding back on saying something about Rachel.

“Oh...kay,” David starts slowly. He gets up to sit next to his boyfriend, putting an arm around him. “I didn’t say anything to you, but I think Rachel’s the one who set Jake off. He said someone told him I was behind you putting him up. And before you defend her, you know she hasn’t been pleasant with me.”

“She’s the one who whisked him away to calm down. Probably to talk strategy,” Stevie adds.

“I know you don’t want to target her until she’s a problem, but I think she might be.” David rubs his shoulder comfortingly.

Sighing, Patrick nods. “I think you’re right. When I talked to her about how she was going to vote, she said some things that didn’t sit right with me. She didn’t outright accuse me, but she implied I was doing your dirty work. I think she’ll try to separate us if she gets the chance.”

“We won’t let that happen.” David leans into him, resting his forehead on Patrick’s.

“Glad we’re all on the same page.” Stevie throws one of her pillows at them, hitting them both. “Now get out. I may approve of your relationship, but I don’t want to see all this.” She waves her hands in their direction.

*

“Is it bad that I hope Alexis and Ted are have-nots again so we can have the room to ourselves for the week?” David asks once they’re back in their bedroom, cuddled on one of the beds.

With Stevie in the HoH room and Alexis and Ted finishing up their week as have-nots, they have the room to themselves for the night. Patrick will have to wake up early and move into one of the other beds just in case, but for now they’re where they want to be, in each other’s arms.

“A little.” Patrick covers them with the comforter before settling against David, putting his head on his chest. “But I feel the same way.”

David snorts. “I must be rubbing off on you.” At Patrick’s laugh, he quickly adds, “Don’t say a word.”

Holding back a teasing comment, Patrick decides to go with one of his other favorite things to do with his boyfriend. He shifts, covering David’s body with his own. Leaning in for a kiss, he pulls away sooner than David likes. At David’s groan, he grins and claims another kiss before trailing his lips to the spot on David’s neck that he’s gravitated to lately.

“ _Fffuck_ , Patrick.”

Patrick pulls away, grinning. “Sorry, too much?” he teases.

“Never too much with you,” David replies, his face coloring as he realizes how easily it slips out.

“I know the feeling,” Patrick says softly.

Eager to not let the moment get too emotional, David tugs on Patrick’s t-shirt gently. “Come back.”

Chuckling, Patrick obliges and lowers his body again. David wraps his arms around him, pulling him tightly against him. They lose track of time, trading kisses and hushed laughs. It’s a sense of comfortable intimacy neither has experienced before. 

Finally Patrick pulls away with an apologetic smile. “It’s going to be time to get up before we know it.”

They settle down, David spooning Patrick, his hand resting on Patrick’s chest, close to his heart. “Good night.”

Patrick reaches for David’s hand, threading his fingers with David’s. “It’s always a good night with you.”

David doesn’t reply, but when he buries his face in the crook of Patrick’s neck, Patrick can feel his smile.

**DAY 44**

Jocelyn has woken up not feeling too great. She feels sad and doesn’t want to leave her bed. She finally does leave it, later than she normally does, as she makes her way to get started on the day. She uses the washroom, changes into her comfy cat sweater and some black leggings, then heads to the kitchen. There’s some coffee made so she pours herself a mug and heads outside to sit on the sofa. She’s alone for ten minutes before Twyla joins her.

“You okay Joce?” she asks, concerned. 

Jocelyn sighs. “Not really,” she tells her. “Feelin’ kind of down.”

Twyla nods, sympathy on her face. “Because of Mutt leaving yesterday?” she asks.

“Yeah and other things. I feel really bad he’s gone and I miss him already. I also really miss Roland and Rollie Jr. It’s becoming really hard to fight to stay in here to be honest,” she tells her. 

“What do you mean?” Twyla asks, sitting up to face her. “Do you not want to be here anymore?”

“I don’t know,” Jocelyn says. “No, I do. I mean, I think I do. I’m not really sure. The reasons for staying are my reasons for wanting to go home so I’m very conflicted.”

“I definitely don’t want to see you go but if it’s something you really feel strongly about I won’t stand in your way. I hope you figure out what’s best for you,” Twyla tells her.

Jocelyn smiles. “Thank you.”

*

Stevie tells everyone to head to the living room. She has a card from Big Brother in hand and reads it out when everyone is seated. “This week's have-nots will be decided by who did the worst in the Head of Household competition. The three players who were the most behind in the HoH competition were Ray, Ronnie, and Jocelyn. Sorry but you three will be have-nots for the week.”

“Ugh, two weeks in a row,” Ronnie complains. 

She gets her housemates’ sympathies before everyone disperses, going back to what they were doing before the interruption. People start asking Stevie to chat one by one to know where her head is at for nominations today.

*

Alexis comes up to the HoH room after Ray and plops down on the sofa. “So I got some hot BB gossip for you,” she tells her, moving her eyes in a weird way. 

“What is it?” she asks when Alexis makes no move to say anything.

“I overheard others talking about how Jocelyn is feeling really down and even talking about wanting to maybe go home,” she informs her.

“Really?” she asks, shocked. Why would she want to leave now when she was _just_ on the block last week?

“Mhm,” she hums. “This could be the time to actually get her out. Not like last week.”

“That’s true, it makes it easy for me if she wants to leave. Less blood on my hands,” she comments.

“Totally,” she says, nodding along. “If you put her up, who would you put next to her?”

Stevie knows David trusts her - she is his sister, but she’s not sure how much she trusts Alexis. She likes her, she’s a very interesting person, but she’s not sure if she can trust her with information. “Not really sure,” she tells her. 

“Okay,” she says in her bubbly voice. “Well, just so you know, you’re not someone I’d ever come after and I really like getting to know you.”

“Thanks,” she tells her.

Alexis smiles, “You’re welcome. Well, I’m gonna leave you to it,” she says with a small shimmy of her shoulders as she rises from her seat. She walks over to where Stevie’s sitting with her back against the headboard and boops her nose before leaving the room.

Knowing that Jocelyn is talking about wanting to leave makes it easy for her to be nominated. She originally wanted to nominate Rachel and now she can with the pretense of telling her she’s not the target because Jocelyn wants out and she needs another person to be nominated next to her so chose her since they aren’t all that close. This week could work out perfectly without Stevie getting blood on her hands.

*

Right before nominations, Jocelyn pulls Stevie to chat with her. They talk in the room by the bathroom in private. “Everything okay?” Stevie asks her, Jocelyn looks distraught. It’s not a look she’s ever seen on her in this game.

“I’d like for you to nominate me,” Jocelyn tells her straight up. She takes a deep breath and adds, “I don’t want to self-evict but I think my time in this house might be up. I miss my family too much and I feel bad that my son was evicted instead of me since I do feel this way but I think him leaving really made me miss my family and I’d like to go up for eviction.”

“Wow,” Stevie tells her. “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” she says with a smile. “I’m sorry if this derails any plans you have for the week but I’m asking for this favor to please be nominated.”

“Yeah, if this is something you really want,” Stevie agrees, nodding, trying to look as sympathetic as she can.

“It is.”

*

Big Brother informs the houseguests it’s time for the nomination ceremony so they all head to the kitchen to sit at the table. Stevie walks in with the nomination key box and places it on the edge of the table. She stands behind it to the side of the memory wall.

“This is the nomination ceremony. As HoH, it is my responsibility to name two houseguests for eviction. I will turn two keys to lock in my nominations and their faces will appear on the memory wall behind me,” Stevie explains. “The first houseguest I have nominated is,” she turns the key and the face appears on the wall. “Jocelyn.”

Jocelyn smiles, happy her wish is being granted. “The next houseguest I have nominated is,” she turns the next key then says, “Rachel,” when her face appears on the wall below Jocelyn’s. “I have nominated you, Jocelyn and you, Rachel for eviction. Jocelyn, you asked to be nominated so you are. Rachel, I needed a second nominee and we aren’t all that close. You have the PoV to save yourself, and I wish you both the best of luck this week. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

Stevie picks up the box and brings it back into the storage room. She got two people on the block that she originally thought of nominating without getting blood on her hands. Jocelyn wants to leave so if the nominations stay the same, it’s likely she’s leaving. Even if it doesn’t work that way and Rachel leaves, then she is someone else that she wants to see be evicted. Both of them are not good for her game or for her alliance. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the Power of Veto and will it be used to save Rachel or Jocelyn from the block?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy humpday! Hope everyones having a fabulous day remembering those who have fought for us all on this Remembrance day.  
> We love you all thank you so so much for all your comments, we're so glad you're enjoying this fic!  
> Without further ado, here is the newest chapter, enjoy! 💖

**DAY 45**

“Hey everyone, it’s time to pick players for the Power of Veto!” Stevie calls from the living room. Everyone gathers in the living room, sitting on the sofas and the two nominees - Jocelyn and Rachel - sitting in the chopping block chairs. Stevie stands at the head of the room with the PoV box of names in front of her. “Will the two nominees join me up here?” 

Jocelyn and Rachel stand and go to stand on either side of Stevie. “As Head of Household, I will pick first,” she informs everyone. She pulls a chip out of the box and reads, “David,” showing it to everyone. 

Stevie tries not to grin as her closest ally stands and makes his way over, standing next to Jocelyn who picks next. She pulls a chip out and reads, “Ted,” showing the chip to the other houseguests. 

“Awesome!” Ted says excitedly as he stands and goes over to stand next to David, patting his shoulder.

Rachel puts her hand in the box and pulls out a chip. “Ray,” she reads before showing the houseguests. 

“Oh goodie!” he says as he makes his way to the front of the room to stand next to Rachel. 

“Big Brother will inform us when it’s time for the competition, good luck,” Stevie says before everyone starts to disperse. 

She brings the box back to the storage room, leaving it on the counter closest to the locked door at the back of the room that only crew members use to come in and out to leave them stuff. The door opens and she turns to see Patrick coming into the room. 

She nods her head at him. He nods back and says, “That worked out well.”

“Yeah, hopefully we can keep it the same,” she says.

“Rachel’s the only one who would change noms I think so she’s the only one who can’t win,” Patrick assesses.

“Yeah, I don’t see Ted or Ray using it, they have nothing to gain by changing them.”

The door opens again and David walks in. “Hi,” he says. 

“Hi,” she says back. 

“We having a team meeting or something?” he asks them.

“Nope.”

Patrick chuckles. “Just saying how well the picking of names went,” he says.

“She’s the only one who can’t win,” David says, referring to Rachel.

“Your boyfriend said the same thing,” Stevie comments. 

David looks to Patrick and smiles at him. She rolls her eyes and decides it’s time she exits the room. She walks by them and leaves without another word. 

When the door shuts behind her, David runs his hands up Patrick’s chest to his shoulders as he leans in and kisses him on the lips. It’s brief but filled with so much passion, Patrick’s left breathless for a moment as David shoots him a wink before leaving the room. 

Patrick chuckles to himself. He grabs an apple and then leaves the room. 

*

The six players competing in the Power of Veto are told to wait in different rooms in the house before being called out one at a time to compete for safety from eviction. David is called first and walks out into the backyard. He sees the yard transformed into a freakshow and immediately knows what competition this is. He’s excited, always wanting to play this one for real. He’s played along at home and usually gotten them right. 

There’s a big red platform with a giant star on it. There’s a buzzer standing on the platform. He gets onto the platform, picks up the card and reads out loud, “Welcome back to the[ Big Brother Freakshow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAcOwOE_s3o). Warming up backstage are six new freakshow acts that will blow your mind. Each act has three houseguests meshed into one face. Except the sixth and final Freakshow act will have six houseguests meshed into two faces. The houseguest who correctly identifies the faces in all six freakshow acts in the shortest amount of time will win the Power of Veto.” 

David puts the card down and gets ready to begin. He presses the buzzer to start his clock and runs over to the screen where a red curtain rolls up to reveal the first act. “Eww,” he says upon seeing the face. He notices Alexis’s eyes so he lights up her name on the board near the screen. He looks at the hideous face again and notices Jake’s cocky smile and the forehead looks like Mutt’s. David lights those two names up and hits the button. It buzzes correctly and the next act appears. 

“Okay these are not cute,” he says upon seeing the next face. The first thing he notices is Patrick’s soft eyes and lights that name up instantly. He sees the bald head and knows it’s Ronnie and the mouth is definitely Twyla. He hits the buzzer and it dings correctly. 

“Yes, okay you got this,” he says to himself as he waits for the third act to reveal its face. “That’s disgusting,” he says but knows immediately which features belong to who. 

By the time he gets to the sixth one, the act with two heads, so he now has to identify six of his houseguests. He looks at them closely and sees Stevie’s mouth on one of them, he also notices Ray’s eyes. He lights those two names up right away. He looks closely and sees his own mouth on the other and Miguel’s eyes. Looking at the foreheads he realizes one is Jocelyn’s and the other, he’s not sure so he lights up Rachel. The buzzer sounds incorrect and he unlights Rachel and looks at the image again. “Oh my _God_ , Klaire,” he realizes, having completely forgotten about her since she left in the first week. He lights her name up and then runs to the buzzer to hit it, the sound ringing correct. He exhales deeply and prays that his time is the lowest.

*

All six players have competed and now they all stand outside, waiting for their results. Twyla is standing next to a board with all their names lined up in the order they competed. “Let’s see how you all did. David you finished with a time of,” she says as she pulls the cover out of the slot revealing his time. “Two minutes and 21 seconds.”

“Wow,” someone says and they all clap for him.

“Rachel, you need to beat David’s time to be in the lead. You finished with a time of,” Twyla says before pulling the cover and revealing, “five minutes and 47 seconds. Sorry that’s not enough to beat David’s time.”

Jocelyn finished with a time of six minutes and five seconds, Ray with a time of three minutes and 33 seconds, Stevie with a time of two minutes and 58 seconds. “Ted, if you could beat two minutes and 21 seconds you will win the Power of Veto,” Twyla announces. “You finished with a score of… three minutes and 12 seconds. That means congratulations David! You have won the golden Power of Veto!” 

“Oh my God,” David says before an excited laugh escapes him. He can’t believe he actually won one of his favorite competitions to watch. He accepts the veto necklace around his neck from Twyla and her hug before everyone congratulates him. 

*

They’re let back into the house where they disperse into different areas. The veto players can’t change yet - needing to still do diary entries. David heads to his room, closing the door behind him. He jumps once, waving his arms around. “Yes!” he says himself as he continues to dance excitedly. He calms down but the smile spreads wide on his face. The door opens and Stevie walks in. When the door is shut behind her she jumps up and down, David not able to contain himself either, starts jumping with her. They stop, laughing lightly. 

“Look at you, two minutes,” she says when they’ve calmed down, punching his arm lightly.

“Damn right,” he says, shaking his shoulders slightly. 

“Stevie please come to the diary room,” Big Brother calls to her.

“See you later,” she tells David before walking to the door. Before leaving she turns to look at him and says, “Congrats.”

“Thanks,” he smiles softly.

Stevie leaves him alone, heading to the diary room.

*

Rachel goes to the room near the washroom for some privacy. She sits down on the big lounge sofa and can’t help but let the tears fall. She’s so upset she didn’t win that competition. Jocelyn is a bigger target than she is and really wants to go home so she should be safe but nothing says safety like winning the Power of Veto. “Ugh,” she groans when her brain reminds her that David’s the one who won that competition. 

David is her number one target - she can’t wait to be able to take a shot at him but that’s never going to happen if she doesn’t win something! This just makes her more upset. She wipes her tears away and tries to compose herself. She really feels alone in this game and yet she’s not begging people to vote her out like Jocelyn is. It’s good for her game that Jocelyn wants to leave because if not she’s sure she was Stevie’s target for the week. Her and David are so close, there’s no way she didn’t put her up because of him.

She stays in there until she’s called to the diary room, not yet feeling like interacting with her housemates.

*

The evening is going by pretty slowly, everyones just chilling, not really doing anything. Stevie’s so bored and wants to scare David so she finds him first to make sure he won’t find her. He’s sitting on the sofa outside with Jocelyn, Ronnie, and Ray so the coast is clear. 

She sees Patrick making his way out of the washroom and towards the kitchen so she stops him and says, “I want to scare David -”

“Oh I’m so in,” he says before she even finishes. 

She nods her head over her shoulder in indication to follow her and leads her to the room by the washroom. Inside the room there’s a small area where she can scooched down into and cover up with blankets and pillows so Patrick helps hide her in there and it’s his job to go get David.

He walks outside and to where he’s sitting. When David looks at him he says, “Can I talk to you a minute?”

“Yeah,” he tells him. He stands and follows Patrick inside the house and to the room by the washroom. “What’s going on?” 

“Nothing, just thought we could have some privacy,” Patrick tells him with a smirk.

David’s distracted by Patrick so when Stevie yells and jumps out from behind him he yells so loud in shock. Stevie and Patrick are both cackling like hyenas and David groans, “Oh my God! You two are the worst!” and smacks both of their arms.

“What was his face?” Stevie asks Patrick through her laughter.

Patrick imitates his face making them both laugh hysterically. “I hate you both,” David says before leaving the room, their laughter growing from behind him. 

*

Getting any privacy whatsoever this week is a challenge for David and Patrick. With neither of them being HoH and Ted and Alexis being haves for the week - that doesn’t give them many options to be _alone_. Stevie has offered to lend them her HoH room for a bit here and there but it’s too obvious if they’re up there alone so they haven’t really taken her up on it. They try to sneak into their room before Ted and Alexis do to get some alone time to make out a little. 

They’ve come up with a little plan to have David go to the bedroom first - gathering his things to get ready for bed so that when Patrick can slip inside the room they have some free time to get more _acquainted_ with each other and if they hear someone coming David can grab his things and head out for the washroom.

David makes his way to the bedroom, fully intent on their plan but when he walks in what he finds is far more disturbing. “Ugh!” he groans, shutting the door behind him before anyone else sees Alexis and Ted making out. “What is going on here?!” he asks, waving his hand between them when they finally scramble off of each other. 

Ted starts stuttering so Alexis just touches his arm lightly and looks at David when saying, “Chill David, this has been going on for weeks.”

“That doesn’t help!” 

“Ugh,” she groans, eyes bulging out slightly. “Fine, okay - we started hooking up -,” she says in a hushed tone, “like week two or three and we really like each other, so don’t make this a thing, David.”

“Yeah, we’re sorry we didn’t say anything to you since we’re in an alliance with you and Patrick,” Ted adds, also trying to stay hushed, never knowing if someones listening on the other side of the door. “We should have mentioned it.”

“Yeah but being in a showmance would put a huge target on us so we’re trying to keep it lowkey,” Alexis adds.

He rolls his eyes slightly, “I’m aware,” he tells her. He then concedes when he sees both of their faces. “Fine just be more careful, nobody wants to see that,” he says waving his hand at them again.

The door opens and Patrick comes in, shock on his face at seeing Ted and Alexis also in the room but he quickly recovers. “Hey guys, what’s going on?” he asks them when he senses the mood in the room.

“Nothing,” Alexis says, shaking her head and Ted averts his eyes completely.

David rolls his and says, “Just caught these two going at it.” 

“ _David!_ ” Alexis scolds.

“What?” he asks, turning to look at her. “He’s in our alliance, he should also know what’s going on here.”

Patrick’s shocked for all of two seconds before he smiles and looks at the newly outed couple. “That’s great news, you guys,” he tells them.

“You’re not upset?” Ted asks him.

“Why would I be upset? I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you, Patrick,” Alexis says as she gets up and walks to him to boop him on the nose. She grabs her clothes from the dresser and looks back at Ted, “I’m going to get ready for bed, babe.”

“No, absolutely not,” David interjects, wagging his finger disapprovingly. “No pet names, you cannot slip up.”

“Chill, David,” Alexis says again, rolling her eyes before leaving the room.

It doesn’t take long for Ted to also leave the room, finally leaving David alone with Patrick but no longer in the mood to get frisky of their own after seeing _that_. 

“So… Ted and Alexis huh?” Patrick says, walking closer to David. 

“I know,” David says, shocked. “I’m shocked but this could be good for her. She’s never been with a nice guy before. Ted is definitely that.”

Patrick places his hands on David’s hips, looking at his lips briefly before looking up at his eyes. David smiles shyly, placing his own hands on Patrick’s shoulders. “Now that we know about them, should we tell them?” he asks.

“Absolutely not,” David shakes his head. “The less people who know the less likely the whole house finds out and makes us a huge target.”

Patrick nods, “You’re right.”

“I know.”

Patrick hums before leaning forward and kissing David’s soft, plump, perfect lips. He tries to deepen it but David pulls back and says, “The sting of seeing my sister dry humping Ted is still there so maybe we shouldn’t -”

“Gotcha,” Patrick says with a small chuckle. David pecks his lips once more before pulling away. They get ready for bed before heading to the washroom for David’s skincare routine. Patrick likes to watch and it means he gets to spend more time with David one-on-one. He sits on the sofa behind where he’s doing his skincare and they just talk about random stuff - things they like to watch at home or do, pet peeves, favorite holidays, things they can’t do (David ride a bike, Patrick whistle), anything that is light and friendly and safe to talk about in public that wouldn’t have anyone wondering about their conversations if they pass by.

It’s still all things they both are really enjoying learning about one another. Finding out people walking very slow right in front of David really annoys him made Patrick chuckle, and finding out that Patrick is freaked out by raccoons made David chuckle but also agree with him.

When they get back to their room, there’s no one in there - Ted and Alexis seemingly somewhere else trying to get a bit of privacy. David puts his things away before getting into his bed. 

Patrick sits on top of his bed above the covers in case he needs to jump into his bed beside David’s. Patrick leans down, pressing his lips to David’s in a sweet, tender kiss, loving the feel of them gliding together. Everything with David feels so good and special and just so _perfect_ , Patrick knows he’s falling deeply in love with him. He’s just not sure how to tell him or if he even should. They haven’t known each other all that long but being with someone 24/7, time gets warped and doesn’t really exist in the Big Brother house. It feels like Patrick’s known David forever instead of only seven weeks. 

Patrick looks into David’s eyes, seeing how they shine as he looks up into his, he feels the words on the tip of his tongue but when David says, “What?” so softly and so shyly, Patrick can’t seem to say them but says, “You’re so beautiful.”

This makes David blush and press their lips together so he knows it was worth it. For now. 

**DAY 46**

David’s alone in the hammock when Jocelyn finds him the next morning. “Hey, David. Can we chat for a minute?” she asks him.

“Sure,” he replies, sitting up. He’s not sure what to expect. Her asking to be put on the block was almost too good to believe.

She sits down on the ground next to him, smiling warmly. “I wanted to have a quick chat about the veto ceremony.”

“I thought you wanted to go home?” David asks, trying to act like he doesn’t care either way.

“I do, which is why I wanted to make sure you’re not going to use the veto. I don’t want this week to turn into backdooring someone else. I know you nominated me last week so it’s not likely that you’d take me off, but just in case…”

“Jocelyn—”

“—It’s okay,” she cuts him off gently. “No hard feelings. I promise.” 

“I’m not going to use it,” he promises her.

“Good, I really miss my boys. All three of them. This is a lot harder than I thought it’d be.”

“Mhm,” David agrees half-heartedly. He misses his parents more than he expected and even his mother. But he has Alexis with him and with Patrick, Stevie, and even Ted, he has more friends in the house than he’s made in Schitt’s Creek.

“There’s something else.” She takes a quick look around the backyard to make sure no one is close enough to hear them. “You haven’t said anything, so I’m not sure if you recognized me. But I know who you and Alexis are.”

“Y-you do?” David stutters as she confirms that he was right to target her last week. 

“I promise I haven’t told anyone,” she says quickly. “And I won’t.”

“Thank you.” He’s a little shocked. Part of the reason she wants to go home is because she misses Mutt and he’s the reason they’re separated.

“My Rollie is the mayor,” she begins explaining, David pretending to be surprised. He doesn’t want to overestimate her kindness and admit he eavesdropped during a private conversation between her and her son.

“You could’ve used that knowledge against us. Thank you for keeping it to yourself.” David fidgets with his rings. “Especially last week.”

Jocelyn shrugs off his thanks, sensing his discomfort. “It wasn’t completely selfless. I’d have to admit to knowing Moira as well. And while I wouldn’t be as big a target as you and Alexis, I’d be next on the list.” She stands up, brushing dirt off her pants. “Your family has been through a lot, David. I hope you and Alexis both come out of this better off, whether that means financially or emotionally.”

David lays back down on the hammock after she walks away. He never expected Jocelyn to keep his secret. If he learned anything from his past life, it’s that people would do whatever it takes to get ahead, no matter who they stepped over. Playing Big Brother should be no different; it’s a competition. Yet the people in this house were proving that wrong. Jocelyn protected him and Alexis instead of outing them for her own game. Stevie is loyal to him and Patrick. And Patrick… Patrick is showing him that he _can_ have everything he didn’t think was possible in a relationship.

*

“...and it turns out his entire business was illegal, and he lost everything. He went to prison, which is terrible, but he is learning Spanish,” Twyla finishes her story about her second cousin.

Stevie and Patrick share a look, not sure how to respond. Twyla’s family sounds as awful as she is sweet.

“Well, that’s good at least,” Patrick replies. 

The three of them are in the HoH room, David having pointed out earlier that with it almost being time for jury, they need to make sure their social game outside of their alliances is thriving. Although it means less time spent together, Patrick knows it’s a good idea.

“I’m hungry,” Stevie announces. “I think it’s time for lunch. You guys want to join me?”

“Sure!” Twyla agrees immediately.

“Uh, no I think I’m good.” Patrick shakes his head, hoping Stevie will take the hint. “Mind if I stay up here to listen to your music?”

“Whatever.” Stevie follows Twyla out of the room. “You owe me,” she mouths to Patrick when she turns to close the door behind her.

He doesn’t have to wait long before the door reopens and David enters.

“Hey, Stevie gave me the heads up that you were alone in here,” he says, walking over to his boyfriend, leaning down to give him a quick kiss. “She also said something about barely being able to break away from Twyla long enough to tell me. I think we’re going to owe her for helping us sneak around.”

Patrick pulls him in close for a longer kiss. “Yeah, she’s a good friend. Think she’ll settle for waiting for a bottle of our store’s finest wine?”

“Maybe if it’s a case,” David replies, sitting down next to him and leaning into his side. “But I think that’s a little premature. We don’t have a store yet.”

“Yet,” Patrick repeats. “But we will. And I’m excited.”

“Me, too.” David ignores the impulse to hide his smile. He’s rewarded with Patrick’s matching smile.

“So how’d your morning go? Mine was horrible without my boyfriend.”

“Mine too,” David agrees. “And not just because we weren’t together.”

“What? What happened?” Patrick’s brows furrow.

David chuckles as he presses a kiss to Patrick’s forehead. “It’s fine. It was just Jocelyn. She wanted to make sure I’m not going to use the veto.”

“And?”

“And she admitted that she knows about me and Alexis.”

“Is she going to tell anyone?” Patrick asks, concerned. “Has she?”

“That’s just it. She hasn’t and she’s not going to.”

“I don’t get it. That’s good then.” Patrick reaches for David’s hand, interlocking their fingers. “Explain it to me.”

“I targeted her and Mutt because I couldn’t trust them and it turns out I should’ve trusted her all along.” David sighs and tucks himself into Patrick’s side as much as possible.

“David?”

“Yeah?” David pulls away just enough to be able to make eye contact with Patrick.

“The way you’re playing this game is amazing. You haven’t done anything wrong. And I don’t wanna add more stress to your day but…” Patrick trails off as he considers whether or not he should tell David how he really feels. He can’t stand David not knowing any longer. “I love you.”

David freezes. “Okay, so you just said that to me for the first time, knowing that it would make my day more stressful.”

“That’s correct.”

“Because you know that I’ve never said that to anyone else, aside from my parents twice, and one time at a—”

“—a Mariah Carey concert,” Patrick finishes with him. “I know. Yeah. And I don’t expect you to say it back to me right now. You say it when you’re ready. Just felt right to me in the moment.”

They stare at each other for a moment, neither sure what to say next.

Patrick decides to go all in. “You’re my Mariah Carey.”

“Okay, that compliment could bring me to tears, but I’m not gonna let it. So… I… would like to thank you for all the wonderful things that you said.”

The door opens suddenly and Stevie sticks her head in. “Uh, Jocelyn’s calling for a house meeting.” She looks between them. “Is everything okay?”

“Yep,” Patrick says quickly. “Never better. Let’s get downstairs.”

*

“House meeting! Everyone in the living room!”

Ronnie curses at Jocelyn’s timing, the unexpected announcement distracting her and causing her to accidentally sink the eight ball in her game against Ray.

“I win!”

“Don’t get used to it,” she mutters as they both head into the living room.

Jocelyn waits until everyone is sitting down before standing up and facing them. “Okay.” She takes a deep breath. “As I’m sure all of you know, I asked to be put on the block. I want to go home.”

Ronnie folds her arms across her chest. When Jocelyn first brought it up to her and Twyla, she wasn’t happy. A member of her alliance self-evicting is not good news for her game. But Jocelyn misses her family, and Ronnie has to respect that. Why can’t it be Patrick who suddenly misses his family and needs to go home? No loss there. She looks over at him and rolls his eyes. He’s staring at David, per usual. There’s no way he’d want to willingly remove himself from David’s side.

“I thought about it long and hard,” Jocelyn continues. “I know the money would be great for my family and community. But I really miss my family. I missed out on a lot of time with Mutt, and I’m so grateful that we got to reunite here. But now I’m missing out on time with Rollie Jr.” She pauses as her eyes start to tear up.

Twyla jumps up to hug her. “It’s okay, Jocelyn.”

Ronnie takes advantage of the interruption to see how everyone else is reacting. Rachel, not surprisingly, looks relieved. The rest of the houseguests are watching Jocelyn sympathetically, except for Patrick and David. Patrick is still staring at David, but instead of staring back at him like he usually does, David is focusing his gaze everywhere in the room except for on Patrick. Interesting. Maybe those two idiots are starting to figure out what’s obvious to anyone with eyes.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jocelyn says, getting Ronnie’s attention again. “I’ve loved getting to know all of you, but please vote me out on Thursday.”

Everyone voices their agreement, before getting up to hug Jocelyn. Eventually everyone goes their separate ways leaving just Jocelyn, Twyla, and Ronnie.

“I’m sorry,” Jocelyn apologizes again. “I know I’m hurting your games.”

Ronnie shrugs. “We get it. But you’re helping us strategize before you leave.”

“Deal.” Jocelyn wipes away the last of her tears. “I really am going to miss my Jazzagals.” She opens her arms for a group hug.

Ronnie groans, but lets Jocelyn pull her in. “We’ll miss you, too.”

*

David heads outside immediately after Jocelyn’s house meeting. He knows he needs to talk to Patrick, but he’s not sure what to say yet. He’s not confused about how he feels for Patrick, but he’s not sure if he can put it into words. Or if he even should. He can’t risk things changing too much and possibly losing the best thing that has ever happened to him.

Seeing Alexis sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet dangling in, he joins her. “No Ted?” he asks as he sits down.

“Um no, he’s inside. I thought maybe we could use a little alone time away from each other.”

“Where was that thought process when I had to walk in on you attached at the lips?” When she doesn’t take the bait, he frowns. “Wait, are you really concerned?”

“Maybe a little.” Alexis shrugs. “It’s just now that you know about us, it’s really real, you know? And now that it’s real, I don’t want it to turn out like my other relationships. Stavros broke up with me five times. Like, there was that time that he never met me in Rio. And remember that time he gave me his ex-wife’s engagement ring?”

David rolls his eyes. “We’re talking about Ted, not Stavros or any of your other exes. The man uses puns! It’s not like this is about to turn into your last selfish.” At his sister’s questioning gaze, he reminds her, “Dubai, 2010. I had to pick you up from that blind date that went terribly wrong. It was a total disaster.”

Alexis winces. “See!”

“Okay, look, um. I would hardly call myself an expert on this subject and by subject I mean genuine human emotion. So, I am just going to tell you what I know. And you can do whatever you want with that. Okay? I know that your name has come up in conversation every single day for the past month and a half. Um, I know that you’re different now. I mean not that different, obviously.” He ignores her pout before continuing. “But um, different enough to know a good guy when you see one. So you’ve been burned a couple times. Um, have we met? I’ve been burned so many times I’m basically the human equivalent of the inside of a roasted marshmallow.” 

“True, David,” Alexis murmurs her agreement.

“Um, but I think it’s important for us to remember that sometimes it does work out. And um, even though everything inside us is telling us to protect ourselves, when you’ve got it, don’t let it go. So if you think you’ve got it with Ted, don’t let it go.”

“Thank you, David.” She wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly. “And you’ll get it too someday. It could even be in front of you right now.”

“Alexis.”

She releases her brother and rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. You and the button are just friends.”

“Okay, this was fun but I’m done.”

“Careful, rhyming is one step away from puns,” Alexis teases as she boops him on the nose.

“Enough,” he says, swatting her hand away. 

Inside the house he finds Stevie and Twyla in the kitchen finishing their lunch. Stevie subtly nods her head upstairs. Once he’s sure no one is watching, he makes his way upstairs. He finds Patrick on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Hey.”

Patrick sits up at the sound of David’s voice. “Hey, wasn’t sure if I’d be seeing you again today.”

“It’s not that big of a house,” David replies, sitting down next to him. He kisses his boyfriend, wrapping both his arms around Patrick’s shoulders.

Patrick’s arms find their place around David’s lower back, and when David breaks off the long kiss, Patrick pulls him in for one more.

“I love you,” David says without hesitation. The relief he feels from admitting it multiplies when Patrick breaks out in a wide smile like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“I know I’ll never be able to compete with Mariah, but this just kind of feels like one of those perfect moments that you dream about.” Patrick’s smile softens into the teasing one David is familiar with. “Except in my dream, we’re not surrounded by cameras stopping us.”

“Fuck.” David grimaces at the closest camera. “You always make me forget about them. Like it’s just the two of us.”

“I feel that way, too.” Patrick drops his head to David’s shoulder. “I wish it was just the two of us right now.”

“We’ll have plenty of time for that,” David says, feeling brave. “In the future.”

“The future. I like the sound of that.”

**DAY 47**

Everyone is outside enjoying the sun by either tanning, chilling in the pool, lounging in the hammock, or avoiding it completely like Stevie in her completely covered get up. It never ceases to make David laugh. She looks great in it, it’s just such a funny sight like if Morticia Addams went to the pool. 

He’s sitting by the pool, feet inside, as he talks with Stevie and Ted. He can somewhat hear Alexis’s conversation over by the hammock with Twyla and Patrick - she’s in the hammock with Twyla, and Patrick’s sitting on the grass near the hammock, slightly swaying them in it by pushing them back and forth gently. 

He’s not sure why this comes up, having not heard the entirety of it but he does hear Alexis say, “I once did a book report on David’s diary and it was _very_ dark.”

“Um, what?!” he asks, shooting up and heading over to them. 

“Um, what?” she asks, confused as to why he just stormed over.

“You did a book report on my _journal_?!”

“Oh you heard that?” she asks, looking guilty but also slightly proud.

“Yeah!”

“Well if it’s any consolation, you weren’t supposed to…”

“Ugh!” David groans. “When - when was this?” he asks, feeling completely mortified.

“I remember being like super tan,” she says absentmindedly and David’s about to scold her when he hears Patrick’s chuckle from where he’s still sitting, now by David’s feet. “I think it was like the seventh or eighth grade,” she finally says.

That means David was in the eleventh grade and that makes him feel even more mortified. “I’m going to _kill_ you, Alexis.”

“David, that was like _fifteen_ years ago, get over it,” she says flippantly.

David flounders, unsure if he wants to rip her hair out and potentially get evicted by production or if he should just walk away. Patrick stands and says, “Okay, how about we go sit over there,” taking David’s arm and leading him away from her.

“How - why did that even come up?” David asks Patrick as they walk to the sofa. 

“Twyla asked us about some of our favorite books -” David scoffs before Patrick continues, “and I mentioned really liking this book and Twyla said that she did a book report on it in high school so… yeah.”

“She’s literally the worst,” David groans as they sit on the sofa. He sees Patrick put some space between them when he sits down and that just makes him even more annoyed. He has no right to be, he knows they have to keep distance so there’s no suspicions about them but _fuck_ , does it hurt to not be able to just hold his hand or have him comfort him during his misery. 

Especially after yesterday. He feels so much freer now that they’ve started saying I love you. He wants to be able to cuddle close to his boyfriend and show the world how they feel, not distance themselves from each other. Although, the world does know how they feel, he supposes, thanks to the cameras watching their every move. It’s just the people in the house who are in the dark. He’s not exactly comfortable with their relationship playing out on live TV, but it is a little comforting to know that they’re not a total secret. Unlike some of David’s exes, Patrick is proud to be with him.

Patrick chuckles. “You’ll live,” he teases.

David turns to face him, sitting with his legs folded up on the seat. “Mmm… I don’t know about that,” he says. “I’m very much in distress.”

“Oh are you in distress?” Patrick teases.

“Yes,” David says, trying not to break. “I’m just feeling so exposed and not in a good way.”

Patrick laughs. “Is there a good way to feel exposed?” he asks, confused.

“Oh, honey…” David teases before realizing the use of a pet name. Thankfully, whoever was sitting here isn’t still here but it doesn’t stop the blush from creeping up David’s face and making Patrick look all smug. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Patrick says with a knowing smile. “Honey,” he adds after a moment.

David groans, covering his face into the crook of his arm. He feels Patrick’s fingers slightly graze his arm and the heat that radiates all through him is so strong. He lifts his head and is met with Patrick’s beautiful soft eyes staring at him. “I like it,” he tells him softly.

David blushes slightly, his mouth twisting up to the side in a shy smile. He shakes his head before looking around. He sees the backdoor open and Ray walk out and makes his way over so they stop their teasing flirting for now. 

*

Later in the afternoon, David puts the veto necklace around his neck before he makes his way through the house and to the back door. He slides it open and looks out at his housemates sitting on the sofa. “Hey, it’s time for the veto meeting,” he informs them.

They all stand and they make their way back inside and to the living room. David stands at the front of the room, behind the coffee table that has the veto box on it. Jocelyn and Rachel sit in the nomination chairs while everyone else sits on the two sofas. “This is the Power of Veto ceremony,” he announces. “I have won the power to remove either nominee from the block forcing the HoH to name another nominee or I could leave them the way it is. I have decided not to use the Power of Veto - with Jocelyn making it known that she would like to be evicted this week I see no reason to force Stevie to make a third nomination. This veto meeting is adjourned.”

David removes the veto from around his neck and places it into the box, shutting the lid. He picks the box up and brings it back to the storage room, leaving it on the counter. He’s happy that they are getting a threat - Jocelyn - out of this game, someone who he was targeting the week prior but still having Rachel in the house is not sitting well with him. They could have easily gotten her out this week but because of Jocelyn’s pleas, everyone will be evicting her to appease her. Why this is even happening is ridiculous - it completely takes away from the integrity of the game - a game David has been obsessed with for decades. Never mind all that, he wishes he could have gotten Rachel out because she is _actively_ targeting him. 

This won’t be the week to get her out but he’s hoping he could win the next HoH so that he could nominate her and not feel bad about targeting someone who’s done nothing but try to break him and his boyfriend apart, made no effort to be nice to him, and is actively working against him. 

David heads for the diary room, requesting access in and waiting until the light turns green signalling he can enter. He walks to the room, sitting in the chair in front of the camera. 

He starts talking, “I really wanted Rachel out this week even though Jocelyn was my target last week. Though, I apparently had nothing to worry about since she _says_ she wasn’t going to tell anyone she knows me and Alexis.” He pauses before they ask him to talk about Rachel. “Ugh, I _know_ Rachel is coming after me. She’s been spreading lies in this house about me, first to Jake and even to Patrick. It’s a good thing she can’t win a competition or else I would have been up already. She’s a conniving little snake, and I can’t wait to win HoH next week and nominate her. Rachel, you may be safe from this eviction because Jocelyn is saving your ass but you won’t be so lucky next week.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will be evicted, Jocelyn or Rachel? A new HoH will be crowned and who will be up for eviction this week?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all your comments and love on this fic, it means so much.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 50**

Thursday arrives and it’s the first week where everyone knows there won’t be a flip and that Jocelyn will be leaving by the end of the night. 

Moira pops up on their screen and the houseguests all wave to her and say hi. “Good evening houseguests,” she tells them with a smile. “Jocelyn and Rachel, you have been nominated for eviction. You both have thirty seconds to plead your case to your housemates. Rachel, you’re first.”

Rachel stands, smiling softly. “Hi mom and dad, miss you, love you. Houseguests,” she says, turning to look at her housemates. “Jocelyn had made it clear all week that she wanted to leave so I hope you honor that for her and for me so I can stay,” she laughs. “I love you all and I am not ready to leave yet. Thank you.”

She sits down and then Moira says, “Thank you, Rachel. Jocelyn, you’re up next.”

Jocelyn stands and says, “Thank you, Moira. Rollie, I’ll be seeing you soon. Houseguests, normally the nominee doesn’t ask to be voted out but that is what I am asking of you tonight. Rachel’s right. I have been asking to be voted out because I cannot do this any longer. I hope you respect my decision and help make it happen. I love you all.”

Jocelyn sits and Moira says, “Thank you, Jocelyn. It’s time for the live vote and eviction. The Head of Household and the two nominees are not allowed to vote. One by one the rest of you will head into the diary room and cast your vote to evict. David, you’re up first.”

David stands and makes his way to the diary room. He sits down and waits until he hears his mothers voice, “Hello David.”

“Hi,” he says softly.

“Please cast your vote to evict.”

He groans, “I reluctantly vote to evict Jocelyn.”

“Thank you,” she says before he stands and heads out, passing Twyla on his way out.

*

After the last person who voted - Ray - sits back down on the sofa, Moira appears on the screen and says, “All of the votes are in. Once I reveal the evicted houseguest, she will have just a few moments to say her goodbyes, gather her belongings and walk out the front door. By a vote of 7 to 0, Jocelyn you have been evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Jocelyn smiles as she nods, standing up. She hugs Rachel before they all head towards the door. She hugs everyone and Twyla says, “Kiss Rollie Jr for us.”

“I will,” she says with a smile. “Thank you guys. I wish you all the best of luck.”

They say goodbye as she opens the front door and walks out to meet Moira on stage where an audience is watching her and clapping.

Jocelyn waves at everyone as she makes her way to the stool across from Moira. She puts her bag down and smiles at Moira. They sit down and Moira says, “Jocelyn!”

“Hi Moira, it’s so nice to see you again,” she says with a grin.

Moira smiles back. “For those of you who may not know…” she trails off. “My family and I had the opportunity to live in Jocelyn’s quaint little town.”

“Yes, where my husband is the mayor of,” Jocelyn adds. 

“What happened? What pushed you to make the decision to leave this game?” 

Jocelyn takes a deep breath. “I’m very much missing my family. I’ve never been away from Roland this long since we were in high school and with our new baby, Rollie Jr, it’s just been way too hard to be without them. And with reconnecting with my other boy - Mutt - I just feel it was my time to go,” she explains.

“A lot of fans - and myself included - want to know… how come you didn’t tell anyone that David and Alexis - my bébés - were not who they say they were?” Moira asks her.

Jocelyn shakes her head, “I feel like it would have put me in a horrible position. If I were to say I knew them then that would expose me as the wife of a mayor of our town, someone who has had the host of this show - Moira Rose - over at my house for dinner. I wouldn’t just be the mom and teacher that I portrayed myself as in the game.”

Moira nods understanding. “Well, since you were the one evicted tonight, your houseguests had some goodbye messages for you,” she says pointing over her shoulder.

*

The houseguests are awaiting to be let outside into the yard for the HoH competition. Finally, they’re able to head out and they see dividers. They step into their slots with their names on it and wait for Moira’s voice to come over the speakers.

“Hello again,” Moira calls out. “I first want to congratulate you all on making it to jury!”

They all clap, proud that they’ve made it this far. Moira then continues, “It’s time for the Head of Household competition. Stevie, as the outgoing HoH, you will not compete. This competition is called ‘Before or After’ and here’s how it works, the rest of you will be read a statement of an event that happened in the house, and you will respond with either ‘Before’ or ‘After’. If you are incorrect, you will be eliminated from the competition. At the end of seven questions, the person with the correct answer will become the new HoH. If there is a tie, we will go to a tie breaker and the person with the closest answer will win. Does everyone understand?

“Yes!”

“Then let’s begin. Patrick became HoH before or after David won his first competition?” 

Everyone moves their dial to answer either ‘Before’ or ‘After’. “Lock in your answers,” Moira tells them. “Answers are now locked. The correct answer is ‘Before’, you all got it right, you all move onto the next round. Please reset.”

Everyone resets and Moira asks the next questions, “Ronnie became a have-not for the third time before or after Stevie won her second competition? Pause. “Lock in your answers.” Pause. “Answers are now locked. The correct answer is after. Sorry Ted and Rachel, you have been eliminated. Please reset and step down, the rest of you reset.”

Everyone resets then Ted and Rachel step down and go sit with Stevie. Moira asks the next one, “Bob became nominated for the second time before or after Jake won his first PoV?” Pause. “Lock in your answers.” Pause. “Answers are now locked. The correct answer is before. Everyone got this right, everyone stays in the game. Please reset.” Pause for them to reset before she asks, “Was the first houseguest to be voted out unanimously leave before or after the first tied vote?” Pause for them to think before turning their dial to their answers. “Lock in your answers.” Pause. “Answers are now locked. The correct answer is before. Twyla and Ray, you have been eliminated. Please reset and step down, the rest of you please reset.”

They do what she says before she asks, “Did Gwen get eliminated before or after the second unanimous eviction vote?” Pause for them to answer. “Lock in your answers,” she tells them before saying, “Answers are now locked. The correct answer is before. Sorry Alexis, you’ve been eliminated. Please reset and step down, the rest of you reset. It’s down to David, Patrick, and Ronnie. The next question is, the week there were no have-nots was before or after there were only three have-nots?” She pauses to let them answer before saying, “Lock in your answers. Answers are now locked. The correct answer is after. Sorry Ronnie, you have been eliminated, please reset and step down. It’s down to David and Patrick, thank you for resetting.”

Patrick smiles wide in his little booth, so happy it’s between the two of them. He does a mini happy dance in the limited space he has, knowing only the cameras can see him and not his houseguests. He mouths, _David this is yours_ before Moira says, “This is the last question, if you get this right you will become the next Head of Household. If both of you get this right, we will go to a tiebreaker. Did Mutt get evicted before or after he became a have-not for the third time?”

Patrick turns his dial to before knowing it’s the wrong answer and hoping but ultimately knowing that David will get this right. Moira tells them, “Lock in your answers. Answers are now locked. The correct answer is after. Congratulations David, you are the new Head of Household!” 

“Oh my God,” he says, floundering for a moment before stepping out of his booth and heading back towards where all his houseguests are walking over to him. Patrick’s the first to him since he was up against him and hugs him tight, “Congratulations, David,” he whispers into his ear, squeezing him tight before letting him go. 

David smiles and thanks him before Stevie puts the HoH key around his neck and also congratulates him before everyone else either hugs him or just sends him their congratulations. 

*****

That night, when most of the house is sound asleep in their beds. David is heading downstairs to fill up his water bottle. He’s waiting for Patrick to sneak upstairs anyway to spend the night with him so he has some time. He walks through the house, not seeing anyone around. He walks past the room near the washroom and hears something. He walks closer to the door as quietly as possible and leans his ear to the door to hear inside. 

“I can’t believe this - I was so close,” he hears Ronnie say.

“You really were, it’s too bad,” he hears another voice, sounds like Ray. He hadn’t assumed them to be a pair even though they know each other but maybe he should have. 

“I was this close…” she trails off. “Man, I really wanted to put Patrick on the block.”

“I think Patrick is delightful,” Ray tells her with possibly a cheery smile like David imagines. “Why do you want him out so badly?”

“There’s something about him that rubs me the wrong way,” he hears Ronnie say and he’s trying hard to stay quiet and not rush in there to tell her off. “The man looks like a thumb.”

David holds in his gasp but walks away before he gets caught listening or he actually goes in there and tells her off. He rushes upstairs and closes the door to the HoH room before saying, “What the actual fuck?!”

“What happened?” Patrick asks, scaring the living shit out of David who jumps and squeals in terror.

“Oh my God,” he says before pushing Patrick. “You scared me,” he says softly before climbing into bed next to him. “When did you get up here? I didn’t see you.”

“I know, you were spying on someone so I tried to stay as quiet as possible,” he tells him, wrapping him up in his arms. “Who were you listening to?”

“Ugh,” he groans, “I heard Ronnie talking to Ray about how close she was to winning the HoH and how badly she wanted to nominate you.”

“Me?! What did I do?” Patrick asks, shocked, trying to keep his voice down so no one comes up here and catches them.

“I don’t know but she is _not_ a fan,” David says, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter cause she’s going up next to Rachel tomorrow.”

“You’d put her up because she’s coming after me?” Patrick asks softly, kissing the side of his head.

David smiles, loving the embrace. He turns slightly to press his lips to Patrick’s in a sweet kiss. “Of course,” he tells him. “You’re my partner in this game and I love you. I need you here with me and Ronnie threatens that so she’s gotta go up.”

“I love you too, and thank you,” Patrick says, pressing another soft kiss to his lips. 

David kisses him back, putting a bit more heat and passion behind it as he fully turns in his arms, throwing his leg over Patrick’s. He feels the covers move up over them as Patrick lays it over them away from the prying eyes of the cameras. 

David slips his tongue inside Patrick’s mouth, teasing his tongue against his as he grinds his hips up into his boyfriends. He feels Patrick’s length hard against him as he meets his movements. Patrick’s hands are on his ass and he’s pulling him into him harder. David’s hands move up under his t-shirt at his back, feeling the muscles work where they are grabbing at him. 

“ _Fuck, Patrick…_ ” he moans softly into his mouth before moving his lips across his jaw and to his ear. “I can’t wait to feel you inside me,” he whispers hotly into his ear before sucking the lobe into his mouth.

“ _Fu- David_ ,” Patrick moans, his hips thrusting faster against him, his hands all over his body before slipping down into the waistband of his joggers. He grabs onto his ass cheeks and spread them wide, feeling them in his hands. 

David reaches back and pulls his right hand out and to his face. He makes a fist with Patrick’s hand before pulling his index finger up and twirling his tongue around it. Patrick moans lightly as David sucks his finger into his mouth like he wishes he could get his mouth on him right now.

After making sure it’s wet, he lets go of his finger and whispers into his ear, “Tease me, baby.”

Patrick makes a deep noise in his throat before he brings his hand back down into David’s pants and circles his hole with his wet finger. 

“ _Yes,_ ” David moans into Patrick’s neck as he feels his finger tease his hole and his hips thrusting against him, feeling their hard cocks rub against each other through their pants. He can already feel himself getting close so he says so, “I’m close, fuck, Patrick.”

Patrick removes his right hand from his pants and moves it to the front to free David’s hard cock from his pants. Patrick goes back to teasing his hole with his other hand as he strokes David’s hard length with his right hand. 

“ _Jesus, Patrick_ ,” David moans into his neck before trailing his lips back to his, kissing him hard and full of tongue as he feels his orgasm fast approaching. Patrick twists his wrist and applies the right amount of pressure to his hole and he’s coming hard into his hand as he bites down lightly against Patrick’s bottom lip. 

Patrick works him through it before letting him go gently. He hears Patrick licking his hand clean of him and he moans, feeling his dick twitch lightly. “Ughh, I wish I could see you right now,” he says before crashing their lips together, tasting himself on Patrick’s tongue.

He pushes Patrick to lie on his back, making sure the blankets are still covering them, David slides down his body and frees his hard, aching cock out of his pants and into his mouth.

“Oh, _David_ ,” Patrick moans as his fingers card through his hair, holding on tight as David wraps his hot, wet mouth around him. It doesn’t take long before Patrick’s coming hard down David’s throat. 

David kisses his way up his body before cuddling into his side. Patrick kisses him hard on the lips, now tasting himself on David’s tongue. He relaxes his head on the pillow as David places his on Patrick’s chest. Patrick holds him close as they fall asleep in each other's arms.

**DAY 51**

The next morning, David calls everyone to the living room. He waits until they are all seated before reading the card, “It’s time for a Have-Not Competition. This week you will compete in two teams. The team that wins will be haves and the team that loses will be the have-nots for the week. As HoH, I will not be participating but I will be choosing the names by random draw to determine the two teams of four.”

David puts the card down and puts his hand into the box to pull out the first name. “On the first team the players are,” he says before pulling the name out and reading, “Patrick.” He pulls three more names out which are Alexis, Ted, and Ray. “So that means Team 1 will be Patrick, Alexis, Ted, and Ray, and Team 2 will be Stevie, Twyla, Rachel, and Ronnie. Get ready and meet me in the backyard.”

*

The yard is transformed into a game show type of setting. There are two counters set up for each team and in the middle of the two is a smaller counter for where the game will be played. Behind where David stands there is a huge game board that reads ‘Ingredient A’ and ‘Ingredient B’, and a list of different possible ingredients like apple, cinnamon, liver, and lobster. He’s very happy to not be playing this week. 

David sees the houseguests all come out in the yard in blue and red aprons. Patrick’s team - Team Blue - stands on the right behind their counter and the other team - Team Red - stands across from them at their counter. 

“Hello houseguests, welcome to the hit new game show, ‘Name That Pie’,” he says, pausing for them to all clap. He continues, “In each pie there are two ingredients from the game board. In each round, one contestant from each team will step up to the podium and challenge their competitor to name the two ingredients of a pie in the least amount of bites. The houseguests willing to name a pie in the fewest amount of bites will have a chance to earn a point for their team. If after your last bite you can’t name that pie, the other team will earn that point for the round. The first team to reach five points wins the game. It’s time to name that pie!”

David stands at the podium in the middle as the first two players from each team come up to join him on either side. “The first two players to face off are Twyla and Ted,” David says. There’s a pie in between them and David asks Twyla, “Twyla, what do you think?”

“I can name that pie in five bites,” she says. 

Ted nods and says, “Go ahead.”

David places the pie in front of Twyla who grabs a fork and digs in. She takes a bite and immediately recognizes the taste of bacon. She takes a second and third bite, unsure of what else there is in there. She looks up at the board and sees what it is that she’s definitely tasting. She takes her fourth bite before nodding, knowing the answer. She says, “Bacon and banana.”

“That’s correct,” David tells her as her team - Stevie, Rachel, and Ronnie - cheer for her, earning them their first point. Rachel hugs Twyla before it’s her turn to step up to the plate against Patrick.

“Patrick and Rachel,” David says as they come up to the podium. He places the next pie and says, “Patrick, you have the first bid.”

“I can name that pie in five bites,” he says before eyeing Rachel. 

She counters with, “I can name that pie in four bites.”

“Okay, Rachel, name that pie,” he tells her. 

David picks up the pie and places it in front of Rachel. She picks up her fork and takes her first bite. She almost gags because it does not taste good. She takes a second and third bite, absolutely hating the taste before giving her very unsure answer as she looks up at the board, “Um, lemon and sweet potato.”

“That is incorrect,” David says. Patrick whoops as does his team who cheers for her getting it wrong and them gaining the point. “The correct answer was potato and pineapple,” he informs her. “The game is now tied. Next up is Stevie versus Ray.” Once they join him at the podium he asks Stevie, “What do you think?”

“I can name that pie in four bites,” she says eyeing Ray. 

He looks back at her confidently and says, “I can name that pie in three bites.”

She waves her hand for him to go ahead so David places the pie in front of Ray who digs in. He takes his first bite and notices an ingredient that definitely doesn’t belong in the pie. He takes one more bite and nods his head, identifying what it is before he takes his last bite which tells him what the second ingredient is. He says, “Sausage and apple,” with a confident smile.

“That is correct,” David tells him, “The blue team has earned a second point.” 

“That pie was very disgusting,” Ray says as he rejoins his team who are all clapping him on the back.

“Alexis and Ronnie, you’re up,” David tells them. “Alexis, you have the first bid.”

“Hmm…” she trails off before saying with confidence, “I can name that pie in four bites.”

“I gotta see this,” Ronnie says with a small chuckle. “Name that pie, princess.”

David places the pie in front of Alexis who picks up her fork and takes her first bite. She almost gags, taking a drink of water before taking a second bite. It’s not any better the second time but she thinks she’s identified the sweeter taste in the pie. She takes another bite before putting her fork down. She looks up at the ingredients and says, “Spam and pomegranate.”

“That is incorrect,” he tells her, making the red team clap and cheer for them, earning the point that Alexis couldn’t get. “The correct answer was hot dog and strawberry.”

“Eww!” she says before rejoining her team.

“Okay so we have two points for the red team and two points for the blue team. Sudden death, please pick one player on your team to face off against the other team,” he tells them. 

They huddle up as a team and come to a decision. Twyla steps up to the podium for team red and Ray steps up to the podium for team blue. “Alright, Twyla versus Ray. Twyla, you have first bid,” he tells them.

“I can name that pie in four bites,” she says. 

Ray counters, “I can name that pie in three bites.”

“Name that pie,” she tells him.

David places it in front of Ray. He takes his first bite and it’s a big one. He looks up at the board to see if anything is triggering his mind as he tastes the food on his tongue. He immediately tastes one of the ingredients since it’s hard to miss but the other has him stumped. He takes a second bite and then a third before he nods his head. “My answer is mint and pepperoni,” he tells David.

“That is correct. Congratulations blue team, you are haves for the week!” David says. The blue team cheer and hug each other as David tells the red team, “I’m sorry red team, you will be have-nots for the week.” 

Ronnie groans, annoyed that they couldn’t pull this off and it means she’s a have-not for the third week in a row. “Sorry Ronnie,” Twyla tells her, knowing how upset she must be right now.

She brushes her off, saying it’s okay even though it’s not. Not eating good food or sleeping in a comfortable bed or taking cold showers for the third week in a row will definitely continue to mess with her head and she is really not looking forward to this week. 

*

After the have-not competition is over, the rest of the afternoon is spent with David having pre-nomination talks. He’s able to speak with both of his alliances - PROduction, which consists of himself, Patrick, Alexis, and Ted, and the final three he has with Stevie and Patrick. He let them all know who he’s planning on nominating. They all already know Rachel is a target since he’s explained why she’s actively coming after him and how he overheard Ronnie saying she’s targeting Patrick so they all agreed those were the only two options. 

“And if one of them comes down, I always have the option of putting up Ray,” David tells them as he’s finishing up with Ted and Alexis. “He’s very friendly and sneaky, and he was in on that conversation with Ronnie.”

“He can easily slip through the cracks and end up in the finale,” Ted agrees. 

“Exactly.”

*

Once again, Rachel doesn’t come to talk to him, making it _that_ much easier for him to nominate her and not have any remorse. Ronnie however, does come talk to him but it’s the same old tired speech he’s heard on countless seasons of Big Brother. “I’m not coming after you. You’re never my target. I think we could be an unlikely duo.” All the same old bull shit. 

He likes Ronnie as a person. He thinks she’s hilarious and fun to be around but in this game, she is actively targeting her boyfriend and one of his closest allies. She has to go up. 

David tells everyone it’s time for the nomination ceremony so they all head to the kitchen to sit at the table. David walks in with the nomination key box and puts it on the table. 

“This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my responsibility to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will turn the keys in the nomination box and their faces will appear on the memory wall,” he informs them. “The first houseguest I have nominated is…” he turns the key and Rachel’s face appears on the wall behind him. “Rachel,” he announces. “The second houseguest I have nominated is… Ronnie,” he says when her face appears below Rachel’s. “I have nominated you, Rachel, because this is the second time I’m HoH and you’ve made no effort to come and talk to me. We don’t have any type of relationship in this house and I have on good authority that you are _actively_ targeting me,” he says to her before looking at Ronnie. “I have nominated you, Ronnie, because I needed a pawn,” he lies. “I think you’re great and we have a great personal connection, I just needed to fill the second seat. I wish you the best of luck in the veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.”

David picks up the box and walks it back to the storage room. He’s sure Ronnie saw through his lie but he couldn’t say _you’re coming after my boyfriend, bitch you gotta go_. So he lied. Hopefully she believed him and it doesn’t make her worried or try too hard this week to win.

David will definitely be happy with whichever one of them leaves this week, it’s just all about the veto so he definitely needs to win so he has total control over the week.

**DAY 52**

David calls for everyone to head into the living room to pick players for the veto competition. “As Head of Household, I will pick first.” He reaches in and pulls out Alexis’ name. She joins him and the nominees as Rachel pulls out houseguest’s choice and chooses Twyla. Ronnie pulls last, grimacing as she announces Patrick’s name. “Big Brother will announce when the competition is set to begin,” David wraps up the selection.

Rachel pulls Twyla into the storage room as everyone starts to separate. “Hey, I wanted to talk quickly before the competition,” Rachel says once the door closes, separating them from eavesdropping ears. She’s not surprised to be David’s target, but him confirming it during the nomination ceremony has her concerned about how the rest of the house will react. It’s no secret that David has Patrick wrapped around his finger, and he probably has most of the rest of the house under his control, too.

“Okay,” Twyla says, her smile faltering slightly.

“I really appreciate how good a friend you’ve been to me this summer,” Rachel starts off. “And I hope if you win, you’ll consider taking me off the block. Ronnie isn’t in danger of going home, David said so himself. She’s just the pawn. Or maybe you’ll throw the competition so I have a better chance of winning?” she asks hopefully.

Twyla shifts her weight from one foot back to the other. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to answer now,” Rachel says, forcing a smile. “I just wanted to plead my case a little.”

Twyla sighs in relief. “I’ll think about it. Good luck!” She hugs Rachel before leaving her alone.

“I guess that could’ve gone worse,” Rachel says to one of the cameras. She needs to win this competition. If she doesn’t, it’s not likely she’s coming off the block and she’ll go home.

*

The houseguests, the veto players wearing shorts and bright Hawaiian shirts, enter the backyard to find it transformed into a tropical paradise. There’s a waterfall with a giant penguin and five stumps on top. The penguin begins to move, telling them to hurry up. Each of the players make their way to the waterfall and climb to the top.

“I’m Otev, the pissed off penguin,” the penguin says. “I’ve been sweating my beak off in this scorching heat and all I want is an ice cold beverage. Here’s how it’s going to work. In each round, I’ll ask for a drink named after an evicted idiot. I mean houseguest. You’ll slide down the waterfall and search the island for the drink I’m craving. Once you think you’ve found the drink with the correct name written on it, race back up the waterfall, kneel on a rock and present me with the drink. But you’ll have to move fast, because in each round, there will be one less rock to kneel on than there are morons. If you’re the last one to bring me the drink I asked for, you’ll be eliminated. We’ll continue until only one player remains.”

Patrick looks over at David, knowing it’s one of the competitions he has been looking forward to. He doesn’t look comfortable in the lime green shirt, but he looks cute. Hopefully David will win, but either Alexis or himself winning is a good outcome, too.

“Round one! I’ll start off easy for you lot,” Otev says. “This evicted houseguest was never a have not.”

The players quickly slide down the waterfall and begin searching for the correct drink. Otev was right, it is an easy clue. Klair went home in the first week without being a have not. Patrick quickly locates the _Klair-arita_ and rushes back up the waterfall with David, Ronnie, and Rachel close behind. Twyla and Alexis race back, Twyla making it to the stump seconds before Alexis. Once Otev confirms that they all have the correct drink, Alexis slides down the waterfall and joins the rest of the houseguests.

“Round two! When it comes to vetos, most of the evicted houseguests had none, but this houseguest had exactly one,” Otev gives the next clue.

Patrick slides down the waterfall, thinking about who won veto competitions. Of the evicted houseguests, only Jake and Mutt won, Jake having won two and Mutt one. He locates a _Moscow Mutt_ and races back up the waterfall behind David. Twyla and Rachel are next. Once Ronnie joins them, they start showing the drinks they brought. Twyla holds up a drink with Jake’s name and because Ronnie brought the correct drink, Twyla gets eliminated.

“Round three! No one thinks being nominated is nice, especially this houseguest who was nominated twice.”

Patrick immediately begins searching for Bob, who was nominated the first two weeks. He finds the _Bobellini_ fairly quickly and is first back up the waterfall again. Rachel follows, and Patrick watches as Ronnie and David frantically search. 

“C’mon, David,” he says quietly under his breath. 

Ronnie yells out excitedly when she finds her drink and rushes back to the waterfall while David is still searching. Finally David finds one and joins them. Patrick’s hopes that Ronnie or Rachel picked the wrong drink are dashed when David gets eliminated. It’s up to him to win this competition now so that David’s nominations can stay the same.

“Round four,” Otev announces. “You never saw this houseguest cry, not even after going home on a tie.”

Jake broke a tie sending Gwen home, Patrick remembers as he slides down the waterfall. He has a little trouble finding the _Gwen-tini_ , but he manages to make it back up the waterfall behind Ronnie, barely making it to the final stump before Rachel.

“This round will decide who wins the Power of Veto,” Otev says. “Bring me the houseguest who has a lot to boast, like winning HoH and Veto the most.”

Patrick slides down the waterfall and takes off as fast as he can. Jake had the most competition wins of the evicted houseguests with one HoH and two veto wins. Remembering finding Jake’s name in the last round, he heads in the same direction. He grabs the drink and runs back to the waterfall. Seeing Ronnie ahead of him, he pushes himself to scramble up the waterfall faster. He throws himself on the stump, his knee hitting it hard. Ignoring the pain, he holds up the _Jake-quila Sunset_.

“Congratulations, Patrick. You’ve won the Power of Veto!”

Once they all head back inside the house, everyone congratulates him—Ronnie begrudgingly. Alexis, Ted, and Twyla offer him hugs, Stevie settling for a congratulatory pat on the back. David waits until last to offer his congratulations. He stops short of hugging Patrick, however, when he sees Patrick’s knee. “Oh My God. You’re bleeding!”

“Huh?” Patrick follows David’s gaze down to his knee. “Oh, I scraped it in the last round. It’s fine.”

“Nope, we need to clean this up immediately before it becomes infected. Imagine?” David makes a disgusted face as he grabs Patrick’s hand and pulls him toward the bathroom.

*

After David and Patrick’s quick exit, the houseguests start going their separate ways. Stevie heads upstairs to the HoH room and Ted and Alexis head toward their bedroom, while a clearly upset Rachel gets called into the diary room to discuss the competition. Ronnie, Twyla, and Ray remain in the kitchen.

“Those two are trouble,” Ronnie announces.

“I think Alexis and Ted are cute,” Twyla replies.

“Not those two. David and Patrick.”

“They’re cute, too.” Twyla shrugs.

“And they’re also winning a lot of competitions,” Ronnie counters, folding her arms. “And are clearly in a showmance.”

“I think I’d know if they were,” Ray says. “My sources say they like each other but haven’t acted on any feelings yet.”

“Your sources?”

“He means he likes to snoop on everyone,” Ronnie fills Twyla in. “And just because they’re not making out on the hammock doesn’t mean they’re not a problem.” She sees the HoH door open, and knowing that Stevie is friendly with David and Patrick, she quickly changes the subject to how annoying the competition was.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to play,” Stevie joins the conversation when she gets to them and starts to fill up her water bottle. “Looked like it was more fun to watch than play,”

“I can’t believe I got an answer wrong,” Twyla says. “I was in such a rush to get back up there that I didn’t think it through.”

Production calls for Twyla to head to the diary room as Rachel exits. “Did Patrick come back yet? I want to make sure he’s okay.”

“They’re still in the bathroom,” Ray informs her.

“Maybe I should go check on him.” Rachel bites her lip and looks in the direction of the bathroom.

“I don’t think it takes that many people to find the band-aids,” Stevie quips.

Ronnie snorts. There’s no doubt in her mind that the two are up to more than just looking for band-aids and that Stevie knows it.

“But David seemed really concerned. Maybe it’s worse than it looked.”

“I think David is just a worrier.” Stevie shrugs.

“He wasn’t that concerned the day Ray burned himself cooking dinner,” Ronnie offers up. “You should go check on Patrick. Make sure he’s okay.”

David may have said she’s just a pawn, but Ronnie isn’t willing to bet $500k on it. She’s not going to pass up a chance to have Rachel annoy David and Patrick and confirm she’s the one who needs to go home.

*

David places the band-aid over Patrick’s scrape, having already washed it out and applied an ointment.

“You know, David, the fact that you were able to take care of this yourself and I don't need to see a medic means that this is nothing."

"Excuse me for being concerned about my boyfriend's well-being."

"I think it's very sweet." Patrick kisses him quickly, aware that anyone could walk in on them. "Thank you. I'm just worried how everyone else will see your concern."

Sighing, David looks away. "I know. It's just…" he trails off. "Last time when you got hurt, Jake helped you into the diary room. And I really hated not being able to take care of you. It should have been me. So maybe I overreacted a little at this scrape.”

“Hey, look at me.” Patrick gently nudges David’s face. He brushes his thumb over David’s lips. “I wanted it to be you, too. I always want it to be you. And I want to be the one to take care of you, too. And not just behind closed doors. I can’t wait until we don’t have to sneak around.”

“Soon,” David says, forcing a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Worth the wait,” Patrick says, leaning in to kiss him again.

David deepens the kiss, his hand moving to the back of Patrick’s head. When he breaks away, he quickly steps back and puts some distance between them. “You’re one to talk about what people will think. You’re going to get us caught.”

“Sorry,” Patrick says, but his smile says he’s anything but. “And I’m sorry you didn’t win the competition,” he adds more seriously. “I know you were excited for it.”

“It’s okay,” David says, waving it off. “Yes, I’m sad that I didn’t win such an iconic competition. But if anyone else had to win, I’m glad it was you. We’re such a _power couple_.”

“Some might even say iconic,” Patrick teases.

“Ew.” David winces. “I just realized America has probably given us some horrible name like Davrick or Patrid.”

“That sounds putrid.”

“What does?” Rachel asks, walking into the bathroom.

“Uh, David was explaining what can happen if a scrape gets infected.” Patrick doesn’t feel comfortable lying to Rachel, but he knows it’s necessary.

“Ew.” She wrinkles her nose in disgust. “Are you okay?”

“Yep,” David answers for him. “I just wanted to make sure he didn’t try to toughen it out.”

“Patrick, please come to the diary room.”

“Ah, that’s my cue. Excuse me.” Patrick throws David a regretful smile. He hates to leave them alone together, but he’s grateful that production just saved him from an uncomfortable conversation. 

He knows Rachel is going to want him to use the veto on her, and there’s no way he can tell her no without making it clear that his loyalties in the game are with David. Even though it’s concerning that Ronnie wants to get him out, the bigger concern is Rachel. She has to go home this week or else there could be trouble for both him and David.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An intense veto meeting shakes up the house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So this chapter is just two days but there is a lot happening in them *insert wide eyes emoji*   
> Thanks for all your lovely comments every week! They mean so much.   
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 53**

Instead of going back to his bed after slipping out of the HoH room, Patrick heads into the kitchen and pours himself a bowl of cereal. He pushes the cereal around the bowl, not really hungry but not wanting to go back to bed to wait for others to start waking up. He’s tired of sleeping in his bed without David, even if it’s just the short time at night and in the mornings to help sell that he was in it all night long. If all goes perfectly, there’s only four more houseguests to evict before it’s just his alliance members left in the house and they won’t have to hide their relationship any longer.

“Hey,” Rachel’s hesitant voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Rach, h-hey,” Patrick stutters. He’s been dreading this conversation since he won the veto. Rachel may be his oldest friend, but she’s too dangerous to have in the house right now. Maybe if she knew the whole truth, she’d understand. But he can’t risk that. He can’t risk his relationship with David, their plans for their store, their chance at winning and making all of it more than possible. After the show is over, he makes a promise to himself, he’ll make sure the competition hasn’t ruined their friendship.

“You’re up early.” Rachel grabs a bowl and spoon, waving them in Patrick’s direction. “Mind if I join you?”

“Sure.” He pushes the cereal box and carton of milk across the table, hoping she’ll take the hint. He needs some physical space between them for this.

To her credit, she does and sits in a seat across from him. She waits a minute before clearing her throat. “So, I know we haven’t been playing the game together. But I hope you’ll use the veto on me. I hope you’re not that eager to get me out of your sight completely.”

“I’m sorry, Rachel.” Patrick pushes his bowl away from him, sighing and avoiding her eyes. “David nominated you for a reason, and I support him.”

“So you admit that you’re working with him?”

“Isn’t that why you’ve been trying to put a target on his back?” Patrick counters. There’s no point in denying it.

“Yes.” Rachel’s gaze drops down to her lap.

Patrick doesn’t need to see to know she’s picking at her cuticles, a nervous tic she’s done since the 10th grade when she started having trouble in pre-calc. “Rach…” he trails off with a sigh, not knowing what else to say.

“Did you tell anyone I lied?” She looks back up at him. “That first day, when we were introducing ourselves and I said I was a bartender?”

“No,” he replies honestly. He forgot about her hiding that she’s a physical therapist. He’s not sure if he would’ve told David even if he did remember. The lie hasn’t made a difference with her game.

“I thought the truth would make me look like a bigger threat. Physical fitness and all that.” She shrugs. “My comp record would’ve proven that wrong, I guess.”

“I figured that’s why you lied,” Patrick replies, ignoring her self-deprecating comment, unsure of the sincerity. The Rachel he knows wouldn’t use that as a ploy, but he’s seen a side of her in this house completely unfamiliar to him.

“A downside is that I haven’t been able to really talk about what I’d do with the money. Do you remember Lena?” At Patrick’s confirmation of remembering her co-worker, she continues. “Well, she’s been toying with the idea of starting her own practice. She asked me and Elliot if we’d partner with her, or at least work for her.”

“That’s great, Rachel!”

“Thanks.” Rachel nods. “I was going to ask you to help me out, but then…”

“I can take a look at things for you once we’re out of here.” He tries not to feel guilty at how all he can muster up for her is some friendly help and with David, as soon as he started talking about the store, he wanted to be a part of it.

“That’s not- that’s not what I need,” Rachel snaps. “I need money to help get it off the ground. I need to win. Please, Patrick. I get that we’re never getting back together. I get that we might not even have a friendship–”

“–That’s not fair,” Patrick interrupts, protesting meekly. He does want to be Rachel’s friend. He can see all of them being friends—Patrick, Rachel, David, Stevie. But not with the way things are now.

“I need to start looking forward to the future, a future without you. Please save me from eviction.”

“I’m not sure I would feel comfortable changing David’s nominations.”

“Why are you so willing to help him, but not me?”

Patrick doesn’t answer her, not sure of what he can say without giving away too much or what she’d even accept.

“Please just consider it,” Rachel pleads.

“I’ll think about it.” He avoids meeting her gaze. She knows him well enough. If he looks her in the eyes, she’ll see it written on his face. She’ll see that he has no intention of taking her off the block.

“Am I interrupting?” Stevie says hesitantly, stopping before them.

“No, we’re done here.” Rachel gets up angrily, pushing her chair back so hard it whacks into the kitchen island behind her. “Thanks so much.”

“Sounds like that went well,” Stevie comments once Rachel’s let into the diary room, taking a seat next to her vacated one.

“Veto,” Patrick offers as an explanation.

“Enough said. Sucks that you’re in this position.”

“Part of the game.” It’s certainly nothing he expected coming into the game, having to evict his ex in order to keep his boyfriend safe. But it’s the situation he’s in. And he’ll choose David every time.

*

Rachel leaves the diary room visibly calmer, but with a storm of emotions brewing inside her. After her talk with Patrick, she doesn’t feel any better about the possibility of coming off of the chopping block. She was very upset when she lost the veto but seeing that Patrick won started to make her feel better. That is until they spoke this morning. Patrick danced around actually giving a response and she’s never seen him avoid her eyes so much. That talk confirmed to her that he and David are working together and probably each other's final two in this game. The fact that David is HoH and nominated her, basically calling out that she is his number one target, and Patrick now winning but more than likely not using it to save her shows her exactly what she feared - that Patrick does not have her interest in mind in this game and that breaks her heart slightly. She knows they’re done but this just hurts on a different level. The fifteen years they’ve been together, they were also best friends, so for him to not give her a definite answer on whether or not he’ll use the veto on her stung. 

She walks around the house and sees everyone is awake now, but not doing much of anything. Mostly everyone seems to be outside, though she doesn’t notice Patrick or Stevie outside. Ronnie passes by her in the kitchen with a nod of her head before she slides the back door open and goes outside. Rachel watches as she walks directly to David who’s by the pool. She’s probably avoiding actually speaking to Patrick - she is not subtle about not liking him. Rachel’s sure Ronnie will try to make sure that she’s still just the pawn and Rachel will be leaving on Thursday. She scoffs as she makes her way back through the house. She heads to the have-not room where she’s been unlucky enough to find herself this week. 

Rachel closes the door behind her and walks over to her bed. She sits down and sighs, looking down at her lap. As she looks up, a light catches her eye. She stands and hesitantly makes her way to it. She reaches down and around the dresser where she saw the light coming from. 

Rachel picks up a diamond encrusted veto with a note taped to it. “Oh my God,” she says to herself before going to hide the veto into her things. She’s crouched down by her bag as she reads the note in a harsh whisper. 

“Congratulations, you have found the Diamond Power of Veto.” She gasps and mutters  _ oh my God  _ to herself again before continuing, “This power will allow you to change one or both of this week’s nominations by removing the nominees and renaming the nominees. The HoH and the current PoV winner cannot be nominated.”

She gasps again, “Holy shit this is  _ huge _ .” She continues reading the note, “But be warned, this power can only be used after the PoV ceremony and if it isn’t used could potentially be put back into the house.”

She puts the note into her bag with the Diamond Veto and paces around the room muttering to herself, talking to the cameras. “This is crazy oh my God!” she squeals as low as she can. “I’m safe. Even if Patrick doesn’t use it I’m good.” She gasps again, “I get to choose the renoms, this is actually insane.” She laughs as she looks into the camera, “Guess who has the last laugh now, David.”

*

David’s just hanging out by the pool when Ronnie comes to join him. She gets inside the pool and walks over to where he’s sitting with his feet inside. He’s been hoping Patrick would come out and join him but he hasn’t seen him since he slipped out of his bed early that morning. 

“Can we have a chat about the veto?” Ronnie asks him, bringing back to reality.

He forces a smile, “Sure, where do you want to go?”

“Here’s fine,” she says casually before looking around. No ones coming towards them so she turns back to him and looks up at him through her sunglasses. “What’s he planning to do with it? Is he going to remove her from the block?”

David feigns uncertainty by shrugging slightly. “No clue, we haven’t spoken yet about it,” he lies.

Ronnie laughs. “Good one.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s obvious you two are working together, David,” she tells him straight up. 

David tries not to let the words visibly affect him to not give anything away. He says, “We’re friends, sure, but we haven’t had a chance to talk yet about this.”

Ronnie hums. “He’s definitely not going to use it on me but do you think he’ll use it on her? Being exes and all?”

“I don’t see why he would,” he tells her. “They don’t seem very close in this game.”

Ronnie nods, considering this. She has noticed that they aren’t working together in the game or else he would have tried to protect her more from being nominated each time she’s been up. This calms her a bit, knowing that he possibly won’t use it on her. “She’s still your target?” she asks David after a moment.

“Of course,” he tells her, not sure if he’s telling her the complete truth anymore. He does want Rachel out but Ronnie telling him that it’s obvious he and Patrick are working together doesn’t sit right with him. That and the fact that she really hates Patrick… maybe it’s best for Ronnie to leave this week.

*

Later that afternoon when the sun is high in the sky, Ted swims to the edge of the pool, resting his arms on the ledge near where Alexis is sitting, her legs kicking gently, making waves.

“ _ Turkish Cosmo _ once included my photo on their list of the world’s best sarongs, so let’s just say I know my way around a beach,” she finishes telling him her idea for the perfect couple’s vacation.

“We can snorkel!” Ted says excitedly.

“I don’t actually go in open water.” Alexis shakes her head. “But I can’t wait to see you do that,” she says, punctuating each word with a playful tap on his bicep.

“I can’t wait to  _ shell-ebrate _ with you on the beach. But what I'm really looking forward to is taking you out on a date.”

Alexis’ eyes light up. "Tell me more about these cute little dates."

“I can’t wait to show you around my town. There’s dinner at my favorite restaurant, of course. Oh, and we have a ropes course that’s really fun. And I'm looking forward to you taking me home, too."

Alexis clears her throat. "Mhm, yep. Home. That is something we can do."

"Are you okay, Lex? Do you not want me to visit you?"

“I’m, like, definitely excited for that. You're just making me think about life outside the house."

“What, like you're not sure how things will be once you're back home?”

“It’s not that, Ted. Kind of the opposite? I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been travelling the world since I was a teen model. But something about this has felt different.”

“What do you mean?”

Alexis bites her lip, considering her next words carefully. “Okay, this might sound insane, but I’ve just been thinking about my family.”

“That doesn’t sound insane.” 

“Okay, maybe I’m not expressing myself clearly. Like, I am physically here but I’m thinking about them there.” She waves her arms around.

“Right,” Ted replies slowly. “What you’re describing is missing someone, and it is a totally normal feeling. I miss my mom.”

“Well this is a new feeling for me, Ted! I know David is here, but I’m used to being basically his only friend. He has Patrick and Stevie to hang out with here. And I left my Dad alone. David and my mom sometimes gang up on him, and I’m basically his only friend. I didn’t know David was going to be here; I was going to just let that happen!”

“Okay, Alexis. You are taking a step out of the nest for the first time since your family started living together again. It’s natural that you’re going to miss them."

“Good, good. I’m not going to do something crazy like Jocelyn, though,” Alexis says quickly. “You and I are going to be the final two, babe.” She follows with a boop on his nose.

“I like the sound of that.” Noticing Twyla heading their way, he pushes away from the ledge and moves to float on his back.

*

David’s lounging on his HoH bed listening to the calming effects of Mariah Carey when the door opens. He doesn’t notice until someone is climbing onto the bed with him. He startles, eyes widening in shock until they land on Patrick’s soft face looking at him with the cutest smile. He takes the earphones out and pauses the music on the iPod, putting them aside. 

“Hi,” he says softly, “Where’ve you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Hi,” Patrick says back, kissing him softly on the lips where he hovers next to him. He sits next to him, close so almost every part of them is touching. “Been around,” he says casually, taking David’s ring clad hand in his and bringing their joined hands into his lap. “Rachel pulled me for the chat this morning.”

“Yikes, how did that go?” 

Patrick sighs. “Not well. She asked me to use the veto on her and when I told her I wouldn’t want to disrupt your nominations, she called out us working together.”

“Ronnie did the same thing just before in the pool,” David tells him.

“What did she say?”

“She asked if you were going to use it on Rachel and I told her we didn’t talk yet so I didn’t know but she was all like  _ it’s obvious you two are working together _ ,” David retells the encounter.

“I guess we’re not as subtle as we think,” Patrick says with a small smile as he leans forward, pressing his lips softly to David’s before trailing down his jaw.

David moans lightly before pulling back and clearing his throat. “None of that now,” he warns. “What else happened with Rachel?”

“She got really upset even though I told her I’d think about it - I was lying, obviously I won’t use it, but she stormed off when Stevie came into the room and we haven’t talked since,” Patrick finishes off. 

“She probably thinks that since you promised her you’d never nominate or evict her that she would also have your loyalty by using the veto on her. It’s ridiculous since you’ve literally never spoken game with her… right?”

“Right, we maybe spoke a bit about it in the first like day or two but that’s when I promised I wouldn’t nominate or evict her. I never told her we were working together. I guess she feels like I should blindly save her even though it’s not what’s best for my game,” Patrick says with another sigh.

David pulls their joined hands onto his lap, adding his other hand on top of Patrick’s. “She isn’t your responsibility anymore, sweetie. I know you feel bad because you’re just too good for this game but that’s just it - it’s a game. You came here to get away and hopefully win some money. She’s here too and that doesn’t mean you two automatically need to pair up or for you to even  _ have _ to try and protect or save her. She had just as much of a chance to win as you did and she didn’t.”

“I know,” Patrick tells him, staring at their joined hands, smiling softly before looking up to meet his boyfriends eyes. “I’m not upset because I feel like I have to protect her but - well, I kind of do. It’s that I have to lie to her about why I’m not protecting her. I can’t just tell her  _ my boyfriend wants you out so I can’t use the veto on you _ . It sucks to lie to her. Our whole relationship was a lie now that I know why it never worked out with us. I just feel bad that I am continuously lying to her and when we leave here she’s going to see all of this on TV and she’s going to be heartbroken. And I will be the cause of it.”

David shakes his head lightly. He feels so bad that Patrick is feeling all of this. He frees their hands, bringing his up to Patrick’s face, holding it between them. He looks him in the eyes and says, “You’re a good man, Patrick Brewer.” 

Patrick has the softest look on his face and David can’t bear to look at it any longer without tears wanting to push through so he closes the space between them, pressing their lips together. 

Patrick’s hands come up to hold onto his arms where he’s still holding his face. He deepens the kiss, slipping his tongue into David’s mouth and David can’t help but moan into it. 

Patrick climbs onto David’s lap without breaking their kiss, straddling him as he wraps his arms around his neck. David’s hands move down to Patrick’s waist, holding him in place and slowly slipping up the back of Patrick’s blue t-shirt, feeling the hard muscles in his back. 

He moves his hands back down and grasps onto his ass. He hates these jean shorts so much but his ass does look good in them and for that he needs to get a couple handfuls of it. Patrick rocks against him before slowly pulling back and looking him in the eyes. His pupils are dilated and his lips look swollen.

“You look so good, fuck,” David whispers, going back in for a kiss, biting that sweet bottom lip of his.

Patrick moans into it before pulling back again. “It’s daytime and I’m sure everyone is  _ loving _ this right now,” he reminds David of where they are.

David groans, “ _ Ugh! _ Fuck, you’re right.”

Patrick chuckles before reluctantly climbing off David’s lap. He sits next to him and asks, “Wanna listen to some music?”

David smiles softly at him before grabbing the earphones and iPod. They both put in one earbud as David plays him some of his favorite songs.

The door opens suddenly, Ray sticking his head into the room. "Knock, knock, everybody decent?"

"Once again, Ray, saying knock knock is not the same thing as actually knocking." Patrick sighs, shifting away from David slightly.

"W-why wouldn't we be decent?" David asks, looking nervously between Patrick and Ray.

Ray doesn't answer, instead continuing into the room. "I just wanted to know if I can use your bathroom? There’s a line forming downstairs."

"Sure."

"Door open or closed?" Ray jokes as he crosses the doorless threshold to the bathroom and turns the corner to the toilet out of view.

"Oh. My. God," David mutters. "I thought you were going to talk to him about this," he asks once Ray is, hopefully, out of ear shot.

"I did," Patrick confirms. "The  _ knock knock _ is him taking the note. I don't see why I had to be the one to talk to him about closed door etiquette, anyway. Ronnie is the one who knows him."

"Maybe you shouldn't have volunteered then."

"I seem to remember you volunteering me when it started to look like you might get stuck doing it."

"You could've said no," David offers up, even though both of them know there's little Patrick would say no to if David asked.

"Knock knock."

"Holy fuck," David exclaims as Ray walks back towards them.

"I realized I came in here without asking how your days are going. How rude of me." Ray waits expectantly.

“Mhm, things are going great. Thanks so much for asking.”

After Patrick quickly voices his agreement, Ray heads back into the bathroom.

Hesitant to say anything else while Ray is still with them, they turn their attention back to the iPod. When Ray comes back out, David waves at him dismissively before he can say anything else.

Unfazed by it, Ray smiles and stands by the door to the hallway. “Door open or closed?” he jokes again.

“Oh closed,” David says at the same time Patrick says, “Closed, I think.”

The door closes behind Ray, and Patrick and David turn to look at each other. “What the fuck was that?” David asks.

“I-I don’t know.” Patrick looks up at the monitor to see Ray still outside the door. “What is he doing?”

“Is he waiting?”

The door opens again. “I can barely hear your conversation. Are you sure you want the door closed?”

“Closed, always closed,” Patrick says, getting up to all but push Ray back out of the room. “Okay, we’re locking the door now,” he says once it’s closed behind Ray. “I don’t care how it looks.”

*

Finally, it’s an acceptable time -  _ what even is time in the Big Brother house _ \- to get snuggled into bed as everyone else also gets themselves situated in their own beds. David has the screen still on in his room as he lays down in bed waiting and watching for Patrick. He watches as Ray fills his water bottle in the kitchen before walking towards the washroom. A few minutes later he sees him walking out and towards his room. David starts to get a little sleepy as there is no activity on the screen for a while. 

His eyes are about to drift close before he opens them and sees Patrick sneakily making his way up. He smiles, sitting up more in bed. Before he can turn the screen off, Patrick opens the door and slips into the room. Forgetting to close it when his eyes land on his boyfriend crawling into bed with him and saying softly, “Hi.”

“Hi,” David says back, cuddling him. He wraps Patrick into his arms and feels the kiss he presses into his neck. He loves when Patrick kisses that spot, it makes his insides flutter like crazy.

Patrick lips slightly graze his jaw before he presses a soft kiss just under his lips. He presses his lips to Patrick’s, wanting more, needing more of him. The few brief moments they get to be together like this, David wants to take full advantage. 

Patrick pulls back slightly from the kiss to say, “You know, when we started this relationship, I wanted to make sure we took things slow and being here forced us into it by keeping things quiet but -”

“But…?” David urges, hoping he’s tired of moving so slowly too.

“It’s a little too slow…” Patrick says, echoing his own thoughts. 

His lips trail back down his lips to his jaw and down to his neck where David moans, “Mmm, I agree but um… what would you do if we had the chance?”

Patrick brings his face back up to meet his, his features illuminated from the screen still being on. He sees the slight blush on Patrick’s face and bites his bottom lip. Patrick’s eyes drift to his lips before trailing back up to his eyes. “I’ve never wanted anyone so badly the way I want you, David,” he tells him. 

David feels his cock twitch and is sure Patrick feels it from where they’re closely pressed together. Patrick kisses him then, full of heat and passion as he climbs on top of him, grinding down on him. 

David fumbles for the controller to turn the screen off behind Patrick’s back before they pull the covers up over them, shielding them from the cameras as much as they possibly can given the situation. 

They rock together, their hard cocks rubbing against each other through their pajama pants. Patrick reaches into David’s pants and grasps onto his cock, stroking him lightly before taking him out of his pants. David does the same to Patrick, feeling his hard length in his hand, loving the weight of it and wishing he could feel that in his mouth. 

Patrick takes both of their cocks in his hand and strokes them together. David moans, exposing his neck to Patrick who kisses him hard, licking and teasing him, trying hard not to leave a mark even though he really wants to.

“I wish you could fuck me right now with that perfect cock, baby,” David tells him hotly into his ear, nipping at him lightly.

Patrick’s hips jerk at his dirty words, wanting so badly to do what he just said. “I want you so badly -  _ God _ , you’re so sexy, David,” Patrick tells him, kissing him hard on the lips, working their cocks in his hand.

David moans softly - more just opens his mouth as he breathes heavily, feeling close to the edge with Patrick’s skilled hands stroking him. “Want you to fill me up. Will you fill me up, Patrick?” he flirts, loving the way his words seem to affect his partner in the best way, with a hard thrust of his hips.

“Yeah -  _ yeah _ ,” he moans as he feels his own orgasm approaching. 

David doesn’t stop as he runs his hands all over Patrick’s body from his back to his shoulders and back down to his ass. He runs them up the front of his shirt, tweaking his nipple slightly and getting a deep moan out of him right into his mouth from where he kissed him so messily. “Yeah, baby, c’mon give it to me, that perfect cock,  _ fuck _ ,” David babbles as Patrick quickens his pace on his strokes pushing them both over the edge as they come hard into his fist and onto their stomachs. 

Patrick flops down next to him, pushing the covers off of their faces. He tucks himself back into his pants before heading to the washroom to clean up and bring a washcloth for David to clean up in bed. They cuddle up together, Patrick snuggled around David, with his front pressed to his back, holding him in his arms. 

David scoots back, rubbing his ass against Patrick’s groin, making him stir slightly at the feeling. He holds him close as he presses a kiss to the base of his neck where it meets his shoulder. “I love you,” he whispers into his ear.

“I love you,” he hears David whisper back before they fall asleep.

**DAY 54**

David wakes up feeling good about the day ahead. He saw on the screen that today is the Power of Veto ceremony which is great because it’ll let Patrick solidify David’s nominations. At this point he’d be happy with either Rachel or Ronnie leaving on Thursday. Both know he is working closely with Patrick, Rachel is coming after him, and Ronnie is coming after Patrick.  _ One goes this week, the other next _ , David thinks. 

They’re instructed to sit outside on the sofa and wait for Patrick to call them inside. Once he does, they all gather in the living room. “This is the veto meeting,” Patrick says, starting the meeting. “I have won the Power of Veto, giving me the chance to remove one of the nominees or leave them the same. I will give you both the chance to tell me why I should use the veto to save you. Ronnie, you can go first.”

Ronnie sighs as she stands. “I know you aren’t going to use that on me,” she says with a wave before sitting back down. David tries not to laugh and he sees Stevie doing the same next to him. 

“Okay… Rachel?” Patrick stutters out.

Rachel stands and smiles at him. “I’m so happy you won. I really hope you’ve given it some thought and will use the veto to save me,” she tells him simply before sitting back down.

Patrick nods and after a moment says, “I have decided not to use the Power of Veto.” He removes the veto and places it in the box. “This meeting -”

He’s interrupted by Rachel saying, “Not so fast, Patty.”

David snaps his eyes to Rachel, muttering under his breath, “No no no no.”

Rachel stands as she pulls something from behind her back. David gasps as he sees what it is. Rachel puts on the necklace and says, “I have found the Diamond Power of Veto. This power allows me to change one or both of this week's nominations and replace them with my own.”

Everyone gasps, completely taken aback. She looks from Patrick to David, “The current Power of Veto holder and the HoH are exempt.”

“Holy shit,” David hears Stevie say to herself. She looks up at him and he sees his own fear reflected back at him.

“I have decided to remove myself and Ronnie off of the block,” she states.

Ronnie laughs as she stands, hugging Rachel. “Thank you,” she tells her before taking a seat on the sofa. Rachel moves to the front of the room, Patrick having taken a seat on David’s other side. “I will replace David’s nominations with Alexis and Stevie.”

Alexis groans as she stands and goes to sit in a nomination chair, Stevie reluctantly joining her. Rachel grins and says, “This meeting is adjourned,” as she slams the box closed. 

*

There’s not even a moment before a fight erupts in the Big Brother house. “Uh, what was that?” David exclaims, standing from his seat, gesturing to the PoV box.

“I just took over your HoH,” Rachel says with a shrug. 

Alexis and Stevie walk over to where David and Rachel are standing, Patrick slowly rising to stand with David. “I thought we were good, how could you just blindside me like this?!” Alexis asks, shocked and hurt.

Rachel turns to look at her, “We are and I’m sorry. If I could have nominated David I would have but nominating his two closest allies - his sister,” she gestures to her then looks at Stevie, “and his best friend were my only options.” 

“You’re a conniving little snake and this just shows how untrustworthy and manipulative you really are,” David pipes in. No one else has moved, too invested to see how this blowup goes. 

“How’s that?” Rachel asks, crossing her arms.

“You just admitted to being close to Alexis but you nominated her because she’s my sister. How do you not see how untrustworthy that makes you? Why would anyone else trust you now that you could do this to her?” David snaps, completely blindsided and frankly, fucking pissed. 

“He’s right,” Ted says, standing and going to stand next to Alexis. “Why should any of us trust you now?” She doesn’t respond so he adds, “You weren’t on anyone else’s radar before but you certainly are now. Congratulations, Rachel.”

Ted walks away, followed closely by Alexis who flips her hair in Rachel’s face as she passes her. “I did this to get back at David, it's not anything personal towards you,” Rachel tries to defend her actions, speaking to Alexis who left, and Stevie who looks furious. 

“Save it!” David snaps. “No one is buying the good girl act Rachel. You’re a conniving little snake and you’re going to get what you deserve. Mark my words.”

“You’re just pissy cause I uprooted your entire HoH and you couldn’t get what you wanted which is me out of this house so you could have Patrick all to yourself,” she snaps back.

“You’re damn fucking right I am. Who wouldn’t be upset that someone blindsided them, taking their entire HoH away from them? But you got one thing wrong… I’ve always had Patrick all to myself,” David announces. He storms off, heading up for the HoH room. 

The rest of the houseguests look in awe at Patrick who has no time to deal with them, going after David and ignoring Rachel’s calls to him as he runs after his boyfriend.

“You’re fucked,” Stevie tells her, Rachel’s eyes snapping back to her from where they watched Patrick chase after David. “You just gained more enemies than just David. And you do realize that one of us will be staying? So I’d watch your back if I were you.” Stevie doesn’t give her the chance to respond before heading out of the living room towards the kitchen where everyone else ran off to.

*

Patrick follows David up to the HoH room, making sure the door is locked behind him. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” David says, pacing the room. “I can’t believe this is happening. What are we going to do? Either Alexis or Stevie is going to go home on my HoH. My HoH!”

Patrick watches his boyfriend helplessly. He’s not sure what they can do. Either way they’re going to lose an alliance member. “I- I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “But we’ll figure it out together, okay?”

David stills at that, and holds out his arms for Patrick, who doesn’t hesitate to take the invitation, wrapping his arms around David and hugging him tightly.

“Hey, let’s think about the good.” Patrick maneuvers them to sit on the bed, his arms still wrapped around David.

“What good, Patrick? What good can you possibly see in this scenario?”

“She could’ve found the power when you weren’t HoH,” Patrick answers easily. “And then she would’ve been able to nominate you. And I can’t imagine a worse scenario than you up on the block right now at risk of going home.”

David melts at Patrick’s sincerity. “And that she wasn’t able to nominate you either. Not that I’m sure she would, but I’d never be able to forgive myself if you went home on my week.”

“There’d be nothing to forgive,” Patrick reassures him. “And I’m sure Stevie and Alexis feel the same way. This isn’t on you. Rachel took the power away from you this week.”

David tenses as he realizes his last words before storming off. “Oh no, I pretty much told the whole house about us. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. You’ve done nothing wrong. And I’d be lying if I said I’m not happy at the idea of not having to hide us any longer.” Patrick pulls him in for a kiss, only letting go when he feels some of the tension melt away. “It’s okay. It’s not like we don’t already probably have targets on our backs. We’ve been winning a lot. And that’s all thanks to you. There’s no way I would’ve won the veto competition this week if it weren’t for your study sessions.”

“It’s not  _ all _ me,” David disagrees. “My boyfriend happens to be a very capable player.” Sighing, he moves out of Patrick’s arms to lay down on the bed, pulling him down with him. “Even if we already had targets on our backs, this just puts a bigger one on us. I shouldn’t have said anything, no matter how good it felt. I just couldn’t help myself,” he explains. “I had to let her know she didn’t win.”

“Ah, so I’m just the trophy boyfriend,” Patrick teases him playfully, earning him a smile.

It doesn’t last long, David quickly frowning again as he starts to think about the next competition. “What if Rachel wins the next HoH? Or Ronnie? Fuck, or even Twyla or Ray?”

“Well, hopefully the rest of the house would agree that Rachel needs to go. But we’ll just have to make sure I win or Ted or…” Patrick trails off. “We’ll keep the power in our alliance,” he says instead. “I’m not ready to say goodbye to you.”

“See you later,” David corrects softly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “We won’t say goodbye.”

“No goodbyes,” Patrick agrees, sealing the promise with a kiss. “I love you so much, David.”

“I love you, too.”

The two fall silent, uncertain of what eviction night will hold but comforted by the fact that they’ll have each other at the end of it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being blindsided by being put on the chopping block, Alexis and Stevie now have to campaign to stay. Who will be evicted and become the first member of the jury?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> This is a long chapter with only about a day and a half of content written. We hope you like this chapter as much as we liked writing it.  
> Enjoy 💖

**DAY 55**

David wakes up feeling like shit knowing that what happened the day before wasn’t just a twisted nightmare. Rachel found the Diamond PoV and used it to completely take over his HoH by removing herself and Ronnie from the block and putting two of his closest allies up - Stevie and Alexis. He groans as he throws his hands over his eyes. 

There’s a tightening around his waist and he removes his hands to see Patrick wrapping him up further into his arms and kissing his shoulder. He kisses his neck, then his cheek, before saying softly, “It’s too early to be this upset already.”

“I know,” he sighs deeply. “What are we even going to say to them today?” They couldn’t have any chats with either of them yesterday seeing as all eyes were on them after that veto meeting. 

Now Patrick sighs, “I don’t know.”

“Not helpful,” David groans, throwing his hands over his eyes again. 

Patrick removes them and turns David’s face to his so he can look into his eyes. “We’ll figure this out together. It’s you and me. We can do this,” he tells him and for a split second David believes him. 

He presses his lips to his in a brief kiss before pulling back. “Wait shouldn’t you already be back downstairs?” he asks, realizing others are probably already up by now.

Patrick shrugs the best he can from where he’s lying down in bed, arms wrapped around his boyfriend. “Figured after yesterday that it didn’t matter. I’m tired of pretending we aren’t together and madly in love.”

David smirks, “ _Madly_ in love huh?”

“Very much so,” Patrick says with a smile as he closes the distance between them in a deeper, more passionate kiss. 

*

After getting up and out of bed, they decide on what they will say to both of their allies. They know that the best choice for them is to keep Stevie. They’ve been aligned with her since day one and even though Alexis is David’s sister, they only got into an alliance with her and Ted later in the game. Stevie has also won competitions and can keep them safe. Alexis hasn’t won anything, though they don’t know if her strategy is to throw those competitions or she’s just bad at them. David told Patrick that he’s like 87% sure that she is just throwing them because of the amount of dangerous situations she’s found herself in in the last two decades and she was able to get out of most of them without anyone's help so a simple competition isn’t anything too difficult for her. There is a pro to keeping Alexis and that’s that she is in a showmance with Ted. Breaking up the only other showmance puts an even bigger target on David and Patrick. After going through all of this and more, they know it’s only right that Patrick votes to keep Stevie and she campaigns for three more votes. 

Patrick leaves the HoH room to head downstairs and get ready for the day while David does the same upstairs. He’s dressed for all of thirty seconds before Stevie comes into the room. “Hey,” she says with a nod of her head.

“Hi.”

“So yesterday was a fucking nightmare,” she says dropping onto his bed with a thud. She turns over to watch him as he comes to sit on the edge of the bed next to her.

“Literally the worst case scenario on my HoH week,” he tells her.

She sits up and struggles for a second to say what she needs to say but finally she mutters out, “I know Alexis is your sister and any deals we have - I just, I get it if you have to save her this week.”

David shakes his head, hating every second of this. He takes her hand and says, “You’re my number one. Not even my boyfriend who I love very much. You’ve been my number one from day one. I won’t lose you so easily.”

Stevie takes a deep breath, using her other hand to wipe at her eye. “Thanks,” she says softly, squeezing his hand. 

“So it won’t be easy for us to campaign for you so you have to do that on your own but you for sure have Patrick’s vote. I don’t want to break a tie so you need three more votes to stay. Ted’s going to vote for Alexis and help her campaign. I think you could get Ray and Ronnie. You’re going to have to work on Twyla or Rachel for the other vote,” David explains. 

“I’d rather choke than campaign to Rachel for my vote.”

“Twyla is very close to Alexis though… you don’t have a choice. You can’t put me in that position to have to choose between you and my sister. I’ve never been this close to my sister in our whole lives and standing there having to break a tie and sending her to jury will destroy any relationship we finally built here.”

“I know, ugh,” she groans, flopping back onto the bed. “I don’t want you to have to do that. I’ll work on Rachel. Make her see that you’re actually closer to Alexis and not me.”

“Good plan.”

*

David and Patrick are on the hammock that afternoon, enjoying being able to cuddle together in the open, when Alexis and Ted interrupt.

“This is so cute,” she says. “But can we talk?”

“Of course,” David says. He and Patrick move into a sitting position, Patrick’s arm still around David and David drawing mindless patterns on Patrick’s knee.

“Maybe we should go up to your room?” Alexis asks, tilting her head towards the couch where Rachel is sitting with Twyla.

“Here’s fine,” David says guiltily. Rachel’s out of earshot, but she can still see them. It’ll help sell Stevie’s claims that he’s closer with Alexis than her. “I’m sorry you’re in this position.”

“Oh my God, not your fault,” Alexis huffs out annoyed, as she and Ted sit down on the ground. “I’m so going to make Rachel pay next week.”

“Yeah.” David lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Actually, babe, maybe we should talk to David about that?” Ted interjects.

“Of course he’s keeping me.” Alexis waves off Ted’s comment. “Right?”

“Did you forget I have literally no power this week?” David asks. “I can’t vote. I have no say in who’s going home.”

Alexis pauses before turning to Patrick. “But you can. And you’re going to keep me right?”

“I’m going to vote with my alliance,” Patrick says, skirting around her question.

Neither Ted or Alexis seems to notice that he answers the question without really confirming he’s going to vote to keep Alexis. But David can see the toll it’s taking on his boyfriend. He hates that Patrick is in this position, having to lie. It would’ve happened eventually, but he thought they had another month before they had to choose between their two alliances.

“I knew I could count on you, Button!” Alexis reaches out to boop him on the nose. “Okay, that’s two votes. I just need one more.”

David nods; it’s crucial that she doesn’t campaign to get any more votes. If she were to get two and unknowingly force a tie breaker… It’s the worst case scenario, and he doesn’t want to imagine having to stand there on live television and evict his sister. He’s not sure he even could.

“You two are so cute,” Alexis says. “Why did you keep lying and saying you were just friends? I knew it was more!” She pokes David in the leg.

“Ow, stop it.” David leans into his boyfriend more. “We didn’t want to put a bigger target on ourselves. Look at the mess we’re in, and that’s without Rachel having known anything for sure.”

“I told you about me and Ted!”

“I literally walked in on you two doing something I never want to see again.” David makes an exaggerated gagging face.

“It was just a kiss! Who knows how many times you two have christened the HoH room.”

“Okay, you can go now,” he says, swatting away her hand when she goes to poke him again. He feels guilty as soon as she and Ted start to walk away, though, and it hits him that these really are his last days with Alexis in the house.

*

Stevie’s hanging out inside at the kitchen island listening to Twyla talk about something - she really should be listening - while she bakes. She can’t stop thinking about how she has to campaign last minute. She already spoke briefly to Twyla but she doesn’t really think she’ll get her vote, she seemed evasive - though, that could just be her personality. 

The fact that Rachel steamrolled Stevie’s closest ally’s HoH and nominated her, now Stevie has to campaign for her to keep her is just her luck. She was wondering when it was going to catch up to her. She’d rather choke than beg for Rachel to vote for her but she doesn’t want to be the first member of the jury. She wants to be in the final two. She likes Alexis and wishes she wasn’t up against her but she needs to go. 

So she has no choice but to drag her feet and find Rachel. She excuses herself from Twyla, peeking her head outside and finding her on the couch. “Hey Rachel, can I pull you for a chat?”

“Sure,” she says with a smile. She stands, following Stevie inside. Stevie leads her upstairs where they sit on the sofa behind the chess table. Rachel sits crossed legged and asks, “What’s up?”

“Ya, uh - I just wanted to talk about your vote this week,” she says straight up. “Putting us up together was a fucking genius move. You got lucky with the power and used it well. I just don’t think I’m the one who should go this week.”

Rachel sits up more, curious as to Stevie’s plea. “How so?”

“Well for one, Alexis is David’s sister. Anyone who doesn’t think they are going to protect each other at all costs is dumb,” she starts with. 

Rachel cracks a small smile, good sign. She says, “True but they don’t seem very close. You’re definitely in an alliance with him.”

“No,” she scoffs, shaking her head no. “We’re close, yeah, on a personal level but that’s about it,” she lies. “My other point is that Alexis is playing the best social game. Everyone likes her and she hasn’t won anything - she’s floating through this game even with a showmance.”

“Her and Ted? They’re hooking up?” Rachel asks, sitting up.

“How have you not seen it?” Stevie asks, making it to be bigger than it is. She doesn’t actually know for sure they are but she sees how they act around each other and they’re about as obvious as David and Patrick, and they weren’t as subtle as they thought. “I haven’t seen anything but the way they are - they definitely have something.”

“Wow, I mean - yeah I _do_ see it. They seemed very into each other but I wasn’t sure if she actually liked him like that. That’s really cute but yeah, good point. Her being in a showmance is a bigger threat.”

“He’s also good at competitions. They can fly through this game. Alexis leaving is the best option. Not just because I get to stay,” she says making Rachel chuckle. “But because she’s a great social player, she has a showmance that’s protecting her, and the person you want to hurt the most in this game - his sister.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think about, Stevie, I must say,” Rachel tells her.

*

A little while later, David heads inside the house to spend some time with Alexis, leaving Patrick alone on the hammock. Patrick looks over to the couch to see that Rachel is back sitting there alone. He gets up with a sigh and makes his way towards her, knowing it’s probably best to rip the band-aid off and talk to her.

“Hey, we should probably talk.”

Rachel waves her hand at the other end of the couch, silently inviting him to sit. Neither know how to start the conversation, frozen in uncomfortable silence. Rachel speaks up first to Patrick’s relief. “Why didn’t you just tell me, Paddy?”

“We decided to keep it a secret because we knew being in a relationship would put a bigger target on our backs,” Patrick starts to explain.

“Relationship?” Rachel repeats stunned. “You haven’t even known him for two months. You’re delusional if you think this is more than just some showmance.”

“This isn’t a showmance,” Patrick insists. “It’s real. And with you going on the offensive against David immediately, we knew we couldn’t tell you about us and confirm that my loyalties are to David.” 

“So instead I made a fool of myself on national television all these weeks thinking we’d eventually get back together?” Rachel spits out furiously. “I seriously thought we still had a chance. That you not wanting to work together was just another one of your attempts to put some distance between us but that we’d fall right back into it after.”

“But that’s the problem, Rach. We kept falling back into it because it was easier than admitting that what we had wasn’t working. We’re not meant to be anything more than friends. I came on the show because we needed time apart so that we could break the cycle. Partnering up with you would’ve made it so much worse. I’m sorry you’re hurt–”

“–Hurt is just the beginning,” Rachel interrupts him bitterly. “I’m so mad at you. God, Patrick. I made it my mission to get rid of your _boyfriend_. Can you imagine how I must look? If I had known what was really going between you two…” she trails off. “I’m such an idiot. How did I not see it? Ronnie and Twyla were talking about it after David stormed off and you chased him— how you two weren’t fooling anyone this whole time. Except for me apparently. I knew you were close obviously, but I didn’t realize how close.”

Patrick pales. When David was worried a couple weeks ago about what Patrick’s parents thought watching their relationship play out on television, Patrick assured him that no amount of editing could portray David or their relationship negatively. The same definitely can’t be said for Rachel. No matter what her motives are, she’s only going to come off as the vindictive ex, the villain of the season. “Rachel–”

“Let me finish,” she says forcefully. “I’m hurt and mad, but I’m also worried for you. The Patrick Brewer I know wouldn’t throw aside his longest friendship for someone he barely knows.”

“He’s not someone I barely know. You don’t understand.”

“So make me understand!”

“No matter how hard I tried with you, it just never felt right. You know that deep down, Rach. And I didn’t understand why. I spent most of my life not knowing what right was supposed to feel like. And then I met David and everything changed. He makes me feel right.”

“That’s… That’s a lot.” Rachel drops her head in her hands and lets out a frustrated sigh.

“I love him.” Patrick says it easily, but the sincerity behind his words are clear.

Taken aback, Rachel sucks in a deep breath. “O-okay,” she relents, lifting her head to look him in the eye. “When we’re out of this house and no longer need to throw each other under the bus to win, maybe we can fix everything. Maybe. I’m still not sure this is real, but of course I want you to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.”

“I want that.” Relieved, Patrick lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. “None of this has ever been about not wanting to be your friend.”

“But for now,” Rachel continues, “nothing has changed. David still ruined my game and you… You chose him this week when you didn’t save me with the veto. And I’m guessing you were planning to evict me over Ronnie, too? Not even throw me a pity vote?”

Patrick confirms with a nod, not wanting to make things worse by denying the obvious. “I meant it when I promised you at the beginning that I’d never nominate or evict you. But you crossed the line when you put up Alexis and Stevie. I’m with David on this.”

“Then I’m still going to do what it takes to get both of you out. I can’t trust you, Patrick. Not after everything that has happened.”

It stings, but Patrick understands. After the game is over, it could be different. But until then, he won’t be able to forgive her for her behavior to David, especially when she’s not showing any remorse. “I get it. And because of what you did to David, I don’t want you to stay.” 

“At least we know where we stand,” Rachel says as she gets up. “For what it’s worth, if you had just been up front with me in the beginning, I would have understood. I would’ve gladly teamed up with you _and_ David. We could’ve been friends instead of this. For your sake, I hope he’s worth it.”

Patrick watches her walking away, not sure how his whole life could have flipped so much in the past months. The last thing he expected walking into this house was to fall in love while potentially ruining one of his longest friendships. Whatever happens, though, he knows he’ll never regret a single moment with David.

*

Rachel avoids making eye contact with anyone as she enters the house. As soon as she’s let into the diary room, she allows her tears to fall. Sitting down in front of the camera, she waits until she’s calm enough to start talking.

“I can’t believe this,” she says, mostly to herself. Looking into the camera, she feels her anger rising. “This can’t be happening. I thought I knew Patrick. Even when we were broken up, I knew I could still trust him. But everything he’s done in this house has made me question that. I’ve known him almost my whole life, we dated for half of it! How can he just choose some guy he just met over me? Is the fact that he’s supposedly in love with him supposed to make it better? How can he even call it a relationship? What they’re doing is not dating! He’s throwing me aside for some fling who is using him. I can’t believe he’s falling for it.”

It’s obvious now that she and Patrick are never getting back together. But that doesn’t mean she’s okay with him pretending like their friendship doesn’t exist.

“He let David nominate me,” she starts to list. “He didn’t use the veto on me. He was going to vote to evict me! I did nothing to deserve this from him. If he thought me using the Diamond Power of Veto was bad, he better get ready for next week. I’m going to win HoH, and I’m finally going to get David out.”

*

Alexis knows she has to campaign, she just doesn’t really talk much game to anyone other than her alliance. She’s friends with everyone, just more on a personal level. She’s hoping that will save her this week. She just changed into her comfortable - but stylish - clothes and is heading out of the bedroom when she finds Twyla in the one next to hers. “Hey Twy,” she says with a smile.

Twyla’s standing by her bed, folding her clothes. “Hey Alexis,” she greets her with a smile. Alexis comes to sit on the bed next to her. Twyla’s a have-not this week but the least amount of time she actually has to spend in that room the better, so she likes to come to her old bedroom to do things like fold her clothes. “What’s up?”

“Mm, not much,” Alexis hums. “I hate being on the block. This is not fun.”

“Yeah, been there,” Twyla agrees. “And on your brother’s HoH,” she lets out an exhale. “That’s gotta be rough.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely not ideal…” she trails off. “Speaking of the votes,” she changes directions. “I can count on your vote to stay, right Twy?”

“I’m definitely leaning on keeping you this week. Stevie’s great but we don’t talk much and when we do I feel like I’m the one doing the talking,” she tells her. “We’re friends so yeah, it just seems like the best for my game.”

Alexis grins. “That’s great, and yeah, you know I got you, girl,” she says with a wink and a shrug of her shoulder, being her playful, flirty self.

“Thanks,” Twyla says with a matching grin, happy with this talk since she was a little nervous about this eviction. She hopes the others are also leaning on keeping Alexis this week. She doesn’t want to lose an ally and friend.

*

Later that night when she could find a minute to talk to her closest ally, Ronnie pulls Twyla into one of the empty bedrooms. “We need to discuss how we’re going to vote.”

Twyla sits down cross-legged on the bed across from Ronnie, hugging a pillow. “I like both of them. I’m glad you’re off the block, Ronnie. But it was a lot easier to decide how to vote before.”

Ronnie grunts. “Maybe, but this is exactly what we needed. The both of us are safe this week, and Rachel lives on to be a target for at least another week. We’re guaranteed safety next week, whether it’s because one of us wins HoH or because David and Rachel are trying to take each other out.”

“Alexis and Stevie probably thought they were guaranteed safety this week,” Twyla reminds her. “If I had my tarot cards, I could see how we should vote. I learned from one of my mom’s ex-boyfriends. He was a magician and a gambling addict. But he was also really good at reading tarot cards. He predicted when he was going to leave my mom, like, to the day.”

“Uh huh,” Ronnie replies slowly. “But you don’t so let’s just talk out the pros and cons.”

Twyla shrugs, but nods along to Ronnie’s suggestion.

“I think we need to get rid of Alexis,” Ronnie starts off, lifting a finger for each point she makes. “She’s playing a pretty good game so far. She’s obviously in a showmance with Ted. If I had a dollar for every time they’ve leapt apart when I walked into a room, I wouldn’t need to be here. She’s David’s sister so she’s always going to have him in her pocket as a vote.”

“But I like Alexis,” Twyla argues.

“Exactly! Her social game is impeccable. She’s dangerous enough on her own, but paired with Ted those two have the social and physical game–”

“–Knock knock!” Ray walks in interrupting Ronnie.

Ronnie throws her hands up. “You might as well join us, Ray.”

“Ooo, what are we discussing?” he asks, sitting down. “David and Patrick? It’s exciting they’ve decided to expand their friendship.”

“I told you they were together,” Ronnie takes a moment to gloat about being right. “But no, we’re talking about how we’re going to vote.”

“I haven’t given it much thought yet.”

“Alexis is the obvious choice.” Ronnie repeats her reasons for Alexis being a bigger threat, getting to the last one as the door opens again and Rachel enters. “Are Alexis and Stevie going to walk through that door next?” Ronnie mutters under her breath, sighing. “Come in and close the door,” she says louder.

Rachel sits down next to Twyla on her bed. “I thought you’d all like to know that I talked to Stevie. She’s worried that David is going to try and get everyone to evict her because he’s closer to Alexis.”

“Told you! It makes no sense to keep Alexis,” Ronnie exclaims. “So if the four of us vote her out, it doesn’t matter how Ted and Patrick vote.” 

Rachel and Ray agree easily, but Twyla remains silent, lost in thought. Rachel nudges her with her elbow. “Hey, Twy. Are you on board with voting out Alexis?”

“I- I don’t know.” Twyla hugs the pillow harder. “Maybe I’ll make some tea and read the leaves. Stevie could’ve been lying to you so you vote to keep her.”

Rachel’s brows furrow. “I hadn’t thought about that. She seemed sincere.”

“Uh uh, nope. No second guessing,” Ronnie tries to argue but no one acknowledges her. 

One by one, they excuse themselves from the room—Twyla to make tea, Rachel to think things through alone, and Ray probably to eavesdrop some more—and leave Ronnie alone. She falls back on the bed exasperated. Rachel unknowingly gave the remaining Jazzagals duo a major gift this week, one they better use to its full potential by evicting the right houseguest this week.

*

That night, Patrick and David are able to walk upstairs to the HoH room together, holding hands. It’s a relief to not have to sneak around. Stevie teases them and Alexis makes an exaggerated wink as they walk, but no one else says anything.

“Rachel made herself pretty scarce today,” David notes as he gets into bed after finishing his skincare routine. "Not that I'm complaining."

“Yeah, I talked to her earlier,” Patrick replies with a sigh. “She’s really not happy. I understand; we’re friends and I kept something monumental from her. But it was obvious from day one that we couldn’t trust her.”

"Did she say what her next moves are?" David's not too concerned. She's yet to win a competition and the one power she had, she found accidentally. But she managed to screw up his game incredibly with that one move, so who knows what else she could do without having to make an effort.

Frowning, Patrick crosses his arms. "Yeah, she definitely still wants you out. And then probably me, too. I told her I was going to evict her. I know I made her a promise at the beginning, but there’s no way I could have voted to keep her after how she's treated you."

"Bold move actually saying that to her, though." David's not surprised Patrick didn't want to lie to her, even if lying and the Big Brother house go hand-in-hand.

"I don't know. I guess I figured honesty is the best policy. Now that we're out in the open, I didn't want to downplay what you mean to me."

"And how'd she take that?"

Patrick wraps an arm around David. "She basically tried to invalidate how I feel and what our relationship is."

"I'm sorry." David snuggles in close to Patrick, resting his head on his chest as Patrick pulls him closer. He plays with the hem of Patrick's shirt, twisting it in between his thumb and index finger nervously. "After we moved to Schitt's Creek, I realized that all of my so-called friends weren't really friends. So I don't really know what it's like to have a friendship like you do with Rachel. But maybe once we're not competing for money things will change."

"Yeah, she kind of said the same thing. And I don't want to lose her. But not if she's going to keep treating you the same way. You're permanent in my life."

David blushes at how easily Patrick is able to say something like that. Permanent. Nothing has felt permanent in his own life since his family was uprooted, or even earlier if he's being honest with himself. If anyone else said something like that, he wouldn't believe them. But with Patrick… With Patrick, things are different. And not just because he trusts Patrick, but because he feels the same way. He wants them to be a permanent part of each other’s lives.

"Hey," Patrick says, nudging David's chin up so he'll look at him. "Anyone who didn't want to keep in touch with you is an idiot."

"I've made peace with it," David says, surprised at how truthful the statement really is. "I mean, I'll probably never be fully over it. But you've helped me. I didn't respect any of them the way I respect you. I don't feel as bad about them now that I've met you. And Stevie, too. You're the type of people I want in my life. I'd rather have the two of you than a hundred of the people I had in my old life."

"David," Patrick whispers in awe. "I love you so much." He cups David’s face gently, pulling him in for a kiss. "I promise I'm going to do my best to be everything you deserve. To be worthy of your trust."

“I know you will.” David clears his throat, changing the subject. As far as he's concerned, he's the one who needs to prove he deserves Patrick. "So, monumental, huh?"

“Hm?”

“You said you kept something monumental from Rachel.”

Patrick grins. “Yeah, I met this guy and fell in love. I’ve never been happier.”

“Well, he sounds lovely.”

“He’s the best,” Patrick confirms. "Smart and kind and so fucking sexy."

David’s eyes widen as he releases a whimper. "I need you to say that again. Please."

An amused smile grows on Patrick’s face. "And so humble, too. Fishing for compliments?"

"No. Well, always," David says, shaking his head. "But I've never heard you swear before. And that was really fucking hot." He shifts to make sure Patrick can feel his hardness to prove exactly what Patrick’s vocabulary did to him.

"My boyfriend–" Patrick pauses to kiss him. "–is so–" He pauses for another kiss, this time biting David's bottom lip as he pulls away. "–fucking sexy."

David reaches for him this time, kissing him hard and slipping his tongue into Patrick’s mouth. "I'd be jealous if I didn't have my own fucking sexy boyfriend," he teases once they break apart. "And he's definitely way hotter than yours."

"Not possible."

"Prove it," David challenges him with a grin. 

Patrick shifts David under him, moving the sheet over their heads. "Gladly." He leans down to kiss David, starting at his neck and making his way up to David’s lips. Pulling away from the heated kiss, Patrick smiles at him."Thank you," he says, turning serious for a moment.

"For what?"

"Everything," he says simply. "For being you. For making everything okay."

David runs his palm across Patrick's face. "Of course. I love you." He moves his hand to the back of Patrick’s neck, pulling his face closer. "Now didn't you have something to prove?"

"I'll spend forever if that's how long it takes to prove to you that you're the best."

**DAY 57**

“Alexis and Stevie were both blindsided when they went up for eviction at the Power of Veto ceremony,” Moira says into the camera and the audience. “Rachel found the Diamond Power of Veto and after Patrick didn’t use the regular veto, she used the Diamond power on herself and Ronnie, and renamed Alexis and Stevie. The two women have been campaigning for the past few days. David, the HoH who lost his power, could potentially have to split a tie to either evict his final two, Stevie, or his sister, Alexis. Let’s speak with the houseguests before we get to this eviction.” 

The camera pans into the house as Moira appears on their screen. Everyone waves and says, “Hi Moira.”

“Good evening, houseguests,” Moira greets them. “This week sure has been eventful. Ronnie, how are you feeling sitting on the sofa tonight and not on the chopping block?”

“It feels fabulous, honey!” She says with a laugh. “Honestly, I’m grateful Rachel used it and also kept me safe.”

“Rachel, you found the Diamond Power of Veto,” Moira comments.

“I did,” she says softly.

“How did it feel to find such a special power?”

Rachel exclaims a deep breath. “A lot. It felt like a lot. I just knew that I was extremely thankful to be the one to find it and be able to make a big game move with it,” she says.

David tries not to roll his eyes. “David,” his mother notes. “How are you feeling after the events that transpired with this special veto?”

“Not good,” he tells her honestly. “My HoH was steamrolled but I guess that comes with the territory of Big Brother.”

“That it does. Our motto is to ‘expect the unexpected’,” she says as the houseguests repeat it with her, already knowing. “I want to switch it over to Patrick,” she adds, her eyes finding him in the room. 

“Yes?” he asks, wary.

“We’ve seen you have a bit of an issue with a certain one of your houseguests. Let’s take a look,” she says before the screen changes and shows their washroom.

Ray walks in the room, nodding to Twyla and Alexis who are talking on the sofa in there. He walks to the bathroom door that separates them from the toilet, and says “Knock knock” before opening the door wide. 

Patrick is inside and says, “I'm in here!” 

“My mistake,” Ray says in his ever cheery voice before saying, “Door opened or closed?”

“Ray, close the door!” Patrick says annoyed, literally sitting on the toilet.

Ray closes it as Alexis and Twyla laugh their heads off.

Another clip shows Ray doing that again but to Mutt in a week he was still in the house, another time to Stevie, and once to David who told him to “Fuck off” but it was bleeped out. 

The video fades away as the houseguests laugh at the montage they just saw. Moira reappears and says, “Ray.”

“Yes, Moira?” he asks, a smile on his face.

“You do know that the bathroom doesn't have a lock and saying ‘knock knock’ isn’t the same thing as actually knocking?”

“Thank you!” Patrick exclaims, making them all laugh. “I’ve been constantly saying that.”

Ray turns to smile at him, “Oh yes you have,” before directing his attention back to Moira. “That one time with Mutt is because he didn’t say anything so I opened the door.”

Moira chuckles, shaking her head. As the laughter dies down she brings them back to reality when she says, “Alexis and Stevie have been nominated for eviction. You both have thirty seconds to plead your case to your fellow houseguests. Alexis, you may go first.”

Alexis smiles as she stands, patting her dress down as she does so. “I’ve been having one of the best experiences of my life here - and I’ve had some pretty crazy experiences. I don’t want to leave just yet. I don’t think I am the bigger threat on this block. I love you Stevie, but I shouldn’t be the one evicted tonight. I hope you think I’m better for your game and vote to keep me. I respect your decision either way like I said, I love you Stevie, and it’s a real bummer being up against you. Thank you for putting me in this house with these amazing people and with my brother, David, who without I wouldn’t be who I am today.” She looks over at Ted, sitting on the sofa right by her eviction chair. She takes his hand and adds, “And thank you for letting me meet the sweetest man I’ve ever met, Ted. Thank you.” She sits back down, not letting go of his hand.

“Thank you Alexis,” Moira tells her. “Stevie.”

Stevie stands and says, “The reason I am up for eviction is because Rachel thinks I am one of David’s closest allies, which is untrue. His closest allies are his sister, who is nominated beside me, and his showmance, sitting beside him. Voting me out will not benefit you in any way. I am a lone wolf in this game. Alexis has three people who will fiercely protect her. I think you’re amazing at this game, Alexis,” she adds, looking at her. “I know that voting to keep me will be the best choice for your game. I hope you make that choice. Thank you.”

She sits back down and Alexis smiles at her, taking her hand with her free one. Stevie lets her hold her hand, needing that comfort as well. 

“Thank you, Stevie, thank you both. It’s time for the live vote and eviction. The two nominees are not allowed to vote. David, you will only vote in the event of a tie. One at a time the rest of you will enter the diary room and cast your vote to evict. Ronnie, you’re up first.”

Ronnie goes into the diary room and votes to evict Alexis. Ray is next and does the same. Ted is next and votes to evict Stevie. Patrick is next and he reluctantly votes to evict Alexis, feeling very guilty about it even though he’s been aligned with Stevie for longer. Twyla is next and she votes to evict Stevie, not being able to go through with evicting Alexis who has been a friend and an ally to her. It’s down to Rachel. 

*

“The results are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest will have just a few moments to say goodbye, gather her belongings and walk out the front door. By a vote of four to two, Alexis you have been evicted from the Big Brother house,” Moira announces. 

Alexis nods as she and Stevie both stand. They hug as everyone moves to go stand by the door. Ted, hanging back to hold Alexis’s hand as they go. Alexis hugs everyone goodbye, whispering something to David before accepting Ted’s embrace. She hugs him tight and when they pull back she kisses him sweetly on the lips. “See you soon, Dr. Casanova,” she teases, booping him on the nose. “Bye everyone,” she says as they all say goodbye and watch her leave.

They all head to the memory wall so they can watch as her gorgeous photo becomes a gorgeous photo in black and white. Rachel watches confused. She thought it would be a split vote with Ted, Twyla and Patrick voting to keep Alexis, that’s why she voted to evict her. She wanted David to have to split a tie vote but it seems that either Patrick or Twyla didn’t vote how she thought they would.

*

Alexis smiles and waves at the audience as she makes her way to the stools in the middle of the stage. She drops her bag and goes to hug her mom. She sits across from her, crossing her legs. 

Moira smiles but it’s a sad one. “Alexis!”

“Mother,” she says, shaking her head, chuckling uncomfortably.

“I’m so sad to see you go,” she tells her.

“Me too,” Alexis agrees. 

“I’d just like to tell you that you have a lot of fans, and a lot of people want to know what the real deal is between you and Ted,” she says, coaxing her.

Alexis smiles, tucking her hair behind her ear. “He’s like I said in my speech, the sweetest man I’ve ever met. I like him a lot and I hope to see him some more once this is all over,” she tells her.

“What did you whisper to David when you two hugged?”

“That he better win this thing,” she tells her. 

“Do you think he can?”

“Oh absolutely,” she says instantly. “He’s definitely playing the best game. He’s also the smartest one in there. Doesn’t hurt that he has his little button there to help him.”

“He is quite capable himself, hmm?” Moira agrees. “You were evicted by a four to two vote. Who do you think were the two votes to keep you?”

“Well, definitely Ted, and I’m assuming Patrick?” Alexis says but it comes out as a question. “I thought I was going to have Twy’s vote, too.”

“Normally, I would say let’s watch and listen to your goodbye messages to see if there were any clues to who voted for you to stay, however…” Moira trails off, leaving everyone in suspense. “This may not be the last we see of you.”

Alexis gasps. “What does that mean?” she asks.

“We’ll find out after the break,” Moira says before the cameras stop and they run to a commercial break.

When they come back, Alexis is gone and Moira is standing by the TV screen where she speaks to the houseguests. She addresses the audience and the camera, “Alexis was just evicted but that may not be the last we see of her. There will be a jury battle-back competition, where the first four members of the jury will have a chance to battle their way back into the house and a second chance at the half million dollar grand prize. For now, it’s time for the next Head of Household competition.” 

She turns to the screen, to address the houseguests. The camera pans into the house, showing the houseguests outside in the yard waiting to compete. “Hello, houseguests. It’s time for the Head of Household competition. As outgoing HoH, David, you are not eligible to compete. This competition is called ‘Seesaw’ and here’s how it works. In front of you are giant seesaws. You will have to balance on the large seesaw to transport balls from one end to the other. If even just one ball falls, you have to restart. The first to make it to 25 balls will win and become the HoH for the week. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!” everyone tells her.

“Great, then let’s begin,” she tells them. Patrick, Ted, Ronnie, Ray, Rachel, Twyla, and Stevie all go to grab one of their balls from their basket to then step onto their seesaw and attempt to walk across without falling and bringing it to the other side and making sure it stays on the mark and doesn’t fall over the edge.

“Good luck and goodnight, houseguests,” Moira tells them, leaving them to compete in this endurance competition that could take all night depending on how well balanced they all are. The camera pans out and back solely on Moira. “Next on Big Brother, find out who will win this HoH and who they will nominate? Also, Zingbot makes a special appearance to poke some fun at the houseguests. Another Power of Veto competition will take place and could possibly be used to save one of the two nominees. Then next week on another live eviction, not just one person will be leaving, but two! That’s right, it’s this season's first double eviction episode. A whole week’s worth of Big Brother put into one night. Which two houseguests will be evicted and join Alexis in the jury where they will await for the fourth and last person to compete with them in the jury battle-back competition? Stay tuned, but for now let’s eavesdrop on the houseguests. From outside the Big Brother, I’m Moira Rose, goodnight.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the HoH and who will they nominate? Zingbot returns to poke some fun at the houseguests and host the veto competition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I just want to thank my friends and co-collaborators Marissa & Kelly for really stepping up and writing the majority of this chapter seeing as I had surgery and couldn't write all too much this week. I did contribute but not as much as I normally like to so for that I just wanted to write a special thank you to them.  
> This chapter is a lot of fun because Zingbot is here!!! If you watch Big Brother then you know who or what he is, if not, I'm sure you can youtube/google him and find some funny clips to watch of past 'zings'.  
> Anyway, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has messaged me or reached out to ask me how my recovery is going, it truly means so much. And thank you to everyone who's commented every week and has made us feel so loved by your continued support on this monster fic. We love you.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 57 (cont.)**

David watches his housemates nervously from the sidelines of the Head of Household competition. Ted and Patrick are halfway through their balls, neither having restarted since early on as they were getting used to how to maneuver across the seesaw without falling off or knocking down their balls from the other end. Rachel is close behind both of them, with only a couple balls less. Even though two of his alliance members are in the lead, with Stevie also doing pretty well, David has seen this competition played out on television enough times to know that all it could take is Ted and Patrick taking a misstep and needing to restart for Rachel to have a comfortable lead that leads to a victory.

Ray falls off of his seesaw, the end with the balls landing hard on the ground. He scrambles to collect them as they roll off in different directions, a sight David would normally find hilarious. But he’s too worried that Rachel could win this. Or, almost as bad, Patrick could win this. He knows Patrick would never throw this competition, not when their games depend on it. But he also knows how bad Patrick would feel if had to make the move to get Rachel out of the house. David doesn’t want that guilt on his boyfriend’s shoulders.

Evicting Rachel this week is a task better suited for Ted, still reeling over the loss of Alexis, or Stevie, looking for payback for her own near eviction. In a perfect world, David would have stumbled on his own power just like Rachel did—one that would allow him to play in back-to-back HoH competitions. Because as much as he hopes they can successfully evict Rachel this week, he’s annoyed that it won’t happen during his HoH reign.

Ronnie places another ball on her seesaw, putting her neck-in-neck with Rachel. Ronnie winning is another worst case scenario. There’s no doubt she’ll target Patrick the first chance she gets.

David turns his attention to Stevie. She’s behind Ronnie now, but she’s moving slowly and deliberately to avoid making a mistake. David hides his hands behind him, crossing both fingers and hoping that both Rachel and Ronnie fall off soon.

“Ted has placed another ball,” David announces. “That puts him in the lead.”

His announcement causes Twyla to look over at Ted, causing her to lose her balance and fall off, losing all of her progress.

“Sorry, Twyla. Start over,” David says, sympathetically. Of all the iconic competitions he’s watched over the years, this is not one he was looking forward to playing in.

Ted, Patrick, Rachel, Ronnie, and Stevie all make careful progress. Even Ray seems to get the hang of it and stops needing to restart. For the most part, Ted stays in the lead with Patrick right behind him tying it up. But, David notices anxiously, the lead they have on the rest of the house becomes smaller and smaller as Rachel gains confidence and starts to move faster. Ted and Patrick have both started to move even slower with each ball they place, afraid to knock any out of place.

“Please, please, please,” David starts pleading under his breath. He watches in horror as Rachel places another ball, one that will tie her with Patrick and leave her just one ball behind Ted. She moves back slowly, shifting her weight and causing the ball to knock into another. They both fall to the ground.

David lets out a sigh of relief. “Restart, Rachel,” he says, not even trying to keep the glee out of his voice. Even with Rachel restarting, he’s not able to fully relax until Ted places his final ball and walks back over to the other side to ring his buzzer.

“That’s for Alexis!” Ted cries out.

“Congratulations, Ted!” David places the HoH key over his head, unable to hide how excited he is. Rachel is finally going to get what she deserves.

*

While production starts calling houseguests into the diary room to talk about the competition, Ronnie sits on the couch in the living room and waits her turn. She knows she needs to make a plan quickly to make sure she and Twyla survive this week. It’s obvious that Rachel will be up on the block. As the sole reason Alexis was even nominated at all, there’s no chance that she’s _not_ Ted’s target. But someone will have to go up as a pawn, and pawns have walked out the door on eviction night before.

She watches as David exits the diary room and crosses paths with Patrick, the next one up for the diary room. Their hands barely brush as they pass each other, but that doesn’t stop them from reaching out for one another until they’re too far apart. Now that their showmance is in the open, it looks like they’ll be even more disgusting with their cuteness, she groans at the thought.

If it were up to her, those two would be on the block. Something about Patrick hasn’t sat right with her since day one. And she likes David, but he’s playing the game too well. If they’re not stopped, the two of them could take this whole game. But she knows there’s no point in suggesting either of them to Ted. With the other half of his showmance gone, Ted will probably turn to Alexis’ brother now, which means getting Patrick as a package deal. Maybe Stevie, too, if Rachel’s assumption is correct.

That leaves just herself, Twyla, and Ray as possible pawns. Looks like she’s going to have to sell Ray as the perfect pawn.

*

The last one to give his competition interview, Ted leaves the diary room calling for everyone’s attention. “Good news! There will be no have-nots this week.” He waits until the cheers cease. “Now who wants to see my HoH room?”

Everyone follows him upstairs where he quickly grabs the letter from his basket. “I can’t wait to hear from my mom.” He unfolds it, quickly reading it with a smile before reading it to everyone else. “Dear Ted, congratulations on winning Head of Household! I miss you and can’t wait to see you again. You’re doing great, honey. Don’t forget to go after whatever you want, no holds barred.”

Patrick tunes out as Ted starts to read about his mom’s zumba lessons and takes a look around the room. He realizes quickly that Rachel never followed them up. Of course she knows she’s going to be Ted’s target, but it looks like she isn’t even going to attempt to do damage control. Maybe this week will be easy.

*

David and Patrick linger behind as everyone leaves once Ted’s done reading.

“I’m obviously nominating Rachel,” Ted says immediately. “I haven’t decided who else to nominate, or if I should let her play in the veto or try to backdoor her. We can talk about that tomorrow, but I just want to make sure you know that I’m not going to let Rachel get away with what she did.”

“I’m sorry.” Patrick takes a deep breath and reaches out for David’s hand. He doesn’t want to lie to Ted, but it’s a necessary part of the game. “I thought she’d have enough votes to force a tie.”

Ted frowns. “Yeah, Lex was pretty sure she had Twyla’s vote. I’m not sure what happened there.”

Patrick focuses on the feel of David’s hand in his and tries to shove down the bubbling guilt at Ted not even questioning how Patrick voted. “I guess she voted with Ronnie.”

“We can worry about that another day,” David suggests. “Our first priority is Rachel.”

Ted nods. “I’m so glad I have you two. Without Alexis, you’re all I have now.”

Patrick and David murmur their agreement, neither wanting to say anything that could risk revealing Ted isn’t their main alliance.

*

After confirming they’d talk nominations tomorrow, David and Patrick head back downstairs and find everyone starting their nighttime routines. David’s already missing the HoH perks. Even though he doesn’t have to hide his relationship with Patrick, there are some things he wants to keep to just themselves, or at least as much to themselves as they can despite the cameras.

He can’t bring himself to ask Patrick for help with his under eye cream while Twyla is in the bathroom with them. And relegated back to one of the main bedrooms, he pouts when Stevie walks in.

“Gee, missed you, too,” she quips, picking the bed the farthest away from Patrick and David’s.

“Can’t you go sleep in one of the other bedrooms?” David complains. He’s happy to have her company, but he’s not ready to give up the privacy he and Patrick shared the past week.

“Which one do you suggest?” Stevie asks, pulling down the comforter and fluffing the pillows exaggeratedly. “The one where Rachel has probably been crying in since the HoH competition or the one where Ray is going to be keeping Ronnie and Twyla up all night with chit chat?”

“You’re staying in here,” Patrick jumps in before David can respond. Rolling on his side to face David, he adds. “We’ve had the HoH room to ourselves a lot lately, including when it was technically Stevie’s and she generously let us use the room.”

“Fine,” David relents, but both Patrick and Stevie know he’s making it sound like a bigger imposition than it really is.

“Now that we have that settled,” Stevie says, settling in between the covers and turning to face David and Patrick. “Who do you think Ted’ll put up with Rachel?”

David shrugs. “Twyla has been the go-to pawn so far. I don’t know if he’ll go with her or give her a break.”

“You don’t think…” Stevie trails off nervously, losing some of her usual imperturbable edge. “Do you think he’ll nominate me? Alexis went home because the house decided to keep me.”

“Don’t even go there,” David says forcefully. “Alexis went home because of Rachel. That’s going to be his priority. He’ll put up whoever will help guarantee that happens.”

“Okay. I’m going to sleep. It’s been a long day.” A grin starts to break out across her face, letting David know that he’s not going to like whatever she says next. “I will throw a pair of dirty socks at you if I hear anything coming from over there,” she threatens.

“Ew, you will not.”

“Don’t test me,” she teases, turning her back to them.

"Night, Stevie." Patrick calls out, pulling David into his arms. He drops a kiss to his forehead. “I’m really glad neither of us have to wait for everyone to be asleep to sneak upstairs. And that tomorrow we won’t have to rush out of each other’s arms,” he says, his voice dropping so Stevie can’t hear. 

David cuddles in closer to his boyfriend. “Me, too. I just wish we were alone,” he whispers back.

“I’ll take what I can get.” Patrick quickly kisses his spot on David’s neck. “I love you.”

David can’t stop himself from groaning at the loss of contact as soon as Patrick pulls away. "I love you, too.” He leans in to kiss him, but pulls away when he feels something hit his back. "Oh my God. What was that?"

"I warned you," Stevie laughs from her bed.

**DAY 58**

Patrick quietly walks out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him so he doesn't wake up David or Stevie. He can't sleep, the craziness of the last few days running through his mind. He walks towards the kitchen, hoping a cup of tea will help get him back to sleep. He glances upstairs and notices the light still on in the HoH room. It seems like he's not the only one who's having trouble sleeping. He quickly walks up the stairs and quietly knocks on the door. He doesn't want to wake up Ted if he's sleeping, but he hears a quiet, "Yeah," so he opens the door just enough to poke his head in, seeing Ted sitting up in his bed.

"Everything okay, man?"

Ted starts to nod his head, but instead shrugs his shoulders. Patrick thinks he knows what's up so he comes into the room and sits at the end of the bed.

"Missing Alexis?"

Ted smiles a bit sheepishly. "Am I that obvious?"

Patrick just shakes his head. "Not at all, but I get it. I don't know what I'd do if the shoe was on the other foot and I had to watch David walk out of here."

Ted smiles at him. "You guys are pretty serious, aren't you?"

Patrick can't help the smile that blooms on his face, he could talk about David for hours, but he knows that's not what Ted needs. "He's definitely very important to me. What about you and Alexis?"

Ted shrugs, a pensive look on his face. "I don't know, man. I wish we'd met away from here or at least gotten more time in here. I feel like we were just starting to get to know each other. I really like her, and I want to be with her when this is over. I just wish I knew if she felt the same way."

"I think she does. I saw how she looked when she was with you in the house, and I saw her face when she had to leave. I think you guys really have something."

"I feel like I saw the real Alexis here in the house. I know people probably think she's flighty and just likes to have a good time, but she has a huge heart. I just wish she was still here.”

Patrick feels a flash of guilt knowing his vote helped evict her. "I wish she was still here, too. It's really unfortunate how things went down. But I really do believe she'll be waiting for you after you leave the house and then you can pick up where you left off."

Ted sniffs and quickly wipes his eyes, "Thanks, Patrick. I definitely didn't expect to find romance when I decided to come on the show."

Patrick laughs, "Me either but I guess the Rose siblings had different ideas."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Me either, my friend."

Ted and Patrick talk for a few more minutes until they both start yawning. Laughing they both say good night, and Patrick heads back downstairs to his bedroom and his favorite Rose sibling.

*

Patrick is just finishing up his breakfast when Ted leans over the railing upstairs and calls out for him. “Hey, Patrick. Can we talk?”

“Sure.” Patrick looks worriedly at David.

“It’s fine,” David says under his breath, sensing that Patrick was worrying about why Ted wants to talk to him alone. He tries not to let it show, but he’s nervous, too—what if Ted somehow talked to Twyla and knows how Patrick really voted? “I’ll take care of this,” he says louder, motioning towards Patrick’s plate.

Patrick squeezes his arm as he gets up. “Thanks.”

“Guess we know who isn’t going up on the block,” Ronnie mutters from the stove where she’s making an omelette.

David ignores her, instead picking at the piece of toast left on his plate. 

As Patrick walks upstairs, Ted calls out for David. “Give us, like, ten minutes and then you can come up.”

David takes his time washing his and Patrick’s dishes, trying not to freak out over what could be going on upstairs. While Ronnie isn’t the last person in the house he wants to lose it in front of, he still doesn’t want her to see him panicking.

“Your brother-in-law is probably ready for you,” Ronnie jokes.

“Mhm, thanks so much.” David flashes her his best fake smile, perfected over the years, and then makes his way to the HoH room.

Patrick opens the door before David has a chance to knock. “I need you to promise me that you won’t freak out.”

“W-why would I freak out? What’s going on?”

Instead of answering, Patrick takes his hand and pulls him into the room. 

Ted doesn’t even wait for them to sit down before he announces, “I’m nominating Patrick.”

David’s feet give way and he falls the rest of the way down to the couch.

“He’s the perfect pawn,” Ted continues. “This way he’s guaranteed to play in the veto.”

 _Oh_. It dawns on David—this isn’t about Patrick voting to keep Stevie over Alexis. The relief he feels over that is only fleeting, however. Because Ted is planning to put Patrick on the block _as a pawn._

“Breathe, David,” Patrick says beside him, reaching for his hand. “It’s fine.”

“No.”

Ted’s visibly taken aback by David’s strong reaction. “No?”

“David,” Patrick tries to reason with him. “It’s a good idea.”

“No,” David says again. “It’s a risky idea. Pawns go home. Are you both forgetting that Alexis just went home? During my HoH week. And you just want to serve up Patrick on a silver platter for Ronnie and the rest of her alliance?”

“But if Ted and I are both playing the veto, there’s a good chance that one of us is going to win.” Patrick squeezes his hand. “And there’s a _really_ good chance that either you or Stevie will get picked to play, too. That’s four players who want to see Rachel go home.”

David pulls his hand away from Patrick and folds his arms across his chest. “And what if we don’t get picked to play? What if the competition is balancing things on a tray and Twyla wins and leaves the nominations the same? I’m not losing my boyfriend the week after I lost my sister.”

“Hey, we don’t have any proof Twyla’s a good waitress,” Patrick tries to joke. When David doesn’t respond, Patrick sighs and turns to Ted. “Can you give us a minute alone?”

“Sure thing, bud.”

Patrick’s relieved to see David wince. At least he isn’t panicking so much that Ted’s use of a nickname goes unnoticed. Once the door closes behind Ted, Patrick rubs his hand across David’s back. “David, I think we need to talk about what happens if one of us gets evicted before finale night.”

“Or we could talk about ways to keep that from happening,” David counters. “I’ll start. You don’t get nominated while our alliance member is in power.”

“You know that if the tables were turned and I was HoH, you’d have no problem using Ted as a pawn to stack the veto comp.”

“Of course not!” David waves his hands around. “Ted’s great, but I don’t care about him leaving. You… You I don’t want to lose.”

“But you won’t,” Patrick interrupts him. “You’re not going to lose me. There’s no guarantee that either of us makes it to finale night. So sure, maybe you’ll have to say goodbye to me for a little bit. But you’re not going to lose me, not because of some eviction or because of any other reason.”

David leans into Patrick, hiding his face in his neck as Patrick wraps his arms around him. “You say that now.” He lets himself sink into the comfort he always finds in Patrick’s arms.

“I must be a pretty bad boyfriend if it’s not obvious how wrecked I’d be without you.” Patrick nudges David’s face until he looks at him.

“Don’t say that. You’re the best.”

“That’s my line.” Patrick smiles, pulling David in for a reassuring kiss.

Ted knocks on the door and waits until they call for him to enter. “So is it a plan?”

Patrick looks to David expectantly. “David?”

“Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

“There’s nothing to worry about!” Ted grins and David preemptively rolls his eyes at whatever he’s about to say. “We’ll make sure ve- _to_ win!”

*****

Ronnie knows there's no time like the present to talk to Ted about putting up Ray as the pawn. She heads up to the HoH room and knocks on the door, opening it when she hears Ted tell her to come in. 

She walks in and looks over at the table to see if there's any treats she wants to grab, but all there is is jerky and protein bars. She wrinkles her nose, she doesn’t trust anyone who doesn't even have any chocolate in their treat basket. She turns to Ted, who's sitting on the bed.

"Hey, Ted, I thought I'd come up and bend your ear for a minute?"

Ted smiles, "Sure but not sure I'll hear you with my ear bent."

Ronnie fights the urge to roll her eyes, she needs Ted's help and annoying him won't help her case. She takes a seat on the couch.

"I hope you don't blame me for Alexis going home? I had no idea Rachel was going to do what she did."

Ted shakes his head, "Of course not, I know who's responsible for Alexis going home."

Ronnie nods, "That brings me to my next question. I assume you're nominating Rachel but have you decided who else you're going to put up? Because if you want my opinion, I think Ray would be the perfect pawn."

"Why Ray?"

"Well besides the fact that he has no concept of privacy, he's universally liked and I don't think anyone would vote to evict him over Rachel. And I know Rachel is who you want out."

Ted nods, "I appreciate your suggestion, you've definitely given me something to think about Ronnie, and just so you know, I have no plans to nominate you, so you don't have to worry about that."

Ronnie nods and stands to leave. She did what she wanted to do, put Ray in Ted's head and get confirmation that she's not a target. "That’s good to know. Thanks, Ted."

*****

Ted informs his housemates that it’s time for the nomination ceremony so the few that they are head to the kitchen. They sit at the table and wait for the HoH himself to join them. 

Ted arrives with the nomination box, setting it down on the table in front of him. Even though Patrick agreed with Ted’s plan, he’s not feeling so great when Ted turns those keys to reveal his face as well as Rachel’s. David’s concerns were valid, even if this is going to help them have the best chance at securing Rachel’s eviction.

“I have nominated you, Rachel, because you are the reason my number one ally is gone. You lucked out with a power and you used it to get out a person who had nothing but kind words to say about you. For that reason, you are my target this week,” Ted informs them. He looks to Patrick then and smiles. "Patrick, I nominated you because frankly, I need someone who will compete in the Power of Veto and win. I don't expect you to still be sitting on the block come eviction. So I wish you nothing but luck in the competition so that my target can be sent home this week. This nomination ceremony is adjourned."

Ted takes the nomination key box and leaves the room, heading for the storage room. He feels bad for being so blunt and honest in front of everyone about Rachel but then he remembers that Alexis isn't here and he's happy with the things he said. None of it was a lie. All of it was warranted. Rachel is the reason his number one ally, the woman he started to really fall for, is no longer here and he cannot forgive and forget that. 

*

Patrick feels bad for Rachel. She's been alone this entire game and now it's even worse because of what happened with that special veto. Rachel did make her own choices that led her to this moment of isolation but he can't help but feel sorry for her. She's still someone he spent half of his life with. She's still always going to be his oldest friend. After the nomination ceremony, she stood up and left the room without a word but he saw the tears starting to fall. He kisses David on the cheek and whispers to him, "I'm going to go check on her."

David nods, understanding. Patrick heads for the bedroom where he finds Rachel hiding under the covers. He sits down on the edge of her bed near her feet and says, "Hey Rach."

"What do you want?" He hears her say softly from under the covers.

"Wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you're not, obviously, but you know. I still care about you and even though we aren't working together in this game and we've made it clear where we stand, you're still an important person in my life and it makes me sad to see you so upset," he tells her.

Rachel sits up, removing the covers from her. She wipes the tears from her eyes and nods. "That means a lot, Patt- Patrick. I don't have anyone in this game and yeah, we are still going after each other but it means a lot that you're the only one making an effort to make sure I'm okay."

"Of course," he says with a smile, reaching out and squeezing her arm before letting go. "So are you? Okay?"

She shrugs. "Not really but I will be. There's still a veto to win."

He smiles. "That there is."

"Just cause you're a comp beast and all doesn't mean I won't put up a fight," she says, smiling. "That veto is mine."

Patrick laughs. "You're on McPhee."

"Right back at ya, Brewer," she smirks.

They laugh and it feels good to be like this with her again. He nods before standing and leaving the room. 

Patrick finds David and Stevie sitting outside on the sofa. "Hey," he nods as he sits next to David, taking his hand in his.

"Hi," David says softly, smiling as he looks at their intertwined hands. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's good."

"Good," he replies before leaning forward and kissing him softly. 

"What were you guys talking about?" Patrick asks them. 

Stevie brings him up to speed. Patrick spends the rest of his afternoon like this, with his two favorite people in the house, just talking outside. Others come and go, joining them or just sitting there in silence, but David never leaves his side nor does he remove his hand from his and Patrick couldn't feel more content even with being nominated this week.

**DAY 59**

Ted steps out of the diary room and announces, "Hey everyone! It's time to pick players for the Power of Veto."

His housemates gather in the living room - Rachel and Patrick in the nomination chairs, and the others on the two couches. Ted stands at the front of the room with the PoV box of names standing in front of him.

"Only six players will be playing in the veto competition. The HoH, the two nominees, and three houseguests selected at random draw," he repeats like every week. "Will the two nominees join me up here?"

Once Rachel and Patrick are standing on either side of Ted he tells them that he will pick first before putting his hand into the box and pulling out a chip. "David," he reads with a smile on his face. 

David stands and goes to wait next to Patrick as he picks next. He pulls the chip out and reads, "Houseguest choice." He pretends to think about it for a second before saying, "Stevie."

She stands and makes her way next to David. 

Rachel puts her hand into the box and pulls out a chip. "Ray," she reads before showing the others. 

"I wish you all the best of luck," Ted says before they all go their separate ways. 

Patrick, David, and Stevie make their way to their bedroom where they can't help but celebrate briefly, jumping up and down together.

"Best. Case. Scenario," David says softly, enunciating each word. 

"Is that okay that I picked you?" Patrick asks, meaning Stevie. 

Stevie nods as David says, "Uh yeah! You had no choice. It's fine, at this point everyone knows how close we are."

"It is what it is," Stevie agrees, shrugging. 

"Best case is that me or Stevie wins and uses it on you," David tells them. "Not that Ted would nominate one of us in your place but it's just a good safety net."

"Definitely," Stevie agrees. "Did he say who he would nominate in your place?"

"No but I'm assuming Twyla is the obvious option," David tells her. "She's absolutely not a threat to anyone's game and she will have all the votes to stay against Rachel."

"Agreed." 

They disperse soon after, not wanting to draw more attention to their trio. David finds Ted in the washroom and once they see that no one else is around they high five. 

Ted's pumped up, "Let's go!!" He whispers harshly.

"Best case scenario," David repeats. 

"He picked Stevie," Ted notes. "Would she use it to save him?"

"Absolutely. She wants Rachel out this week as much as we do," he reassures him. 

"Perfect. I'm so pumped!"

David nods, laughing. He feels just as pumped up to win, he just hopes one of them can pull out the win and take Patrick off of the chopping block.

*

Ronnie’s alone in the living room when she hears a strange noise coming from the diary room. The door opens and a tall, green robot walks out. “Uh, hey, everyone,” she calls out. “You’re going to want to come out.”

David’s the first one to join her, Patrick and Stevie following her from one of the bedrooms. “Zingbot!” he shouts excitedly. He’s been waiting for the insult-dishing robot to make an appearance. Every superfan wants the chance to be zinged by Zingbot, and he can’t wait to hear the zings for some of the others in the house.

“I’m baaaack!” Zingbot announces, getting the attention of the rest of the house. He leads everyone into the kitchen where they all form a group, prepared for Zingbot to unleash on them.

“Hello, houseguests! I promise I’ll go easy on you,” Zingot starts, confusing everyone. “I hear you’ve had a hard summer getting used to the invasion of privacy—but don’t worry. Once Ray’s gone, the cameras will seem like nothing! Zing!”

Everyone, including Ray who seems confused, starts to laugh. 

Zingbot turns to face Twyla. “Twyla, I would zing you, but I’m only supposed to zing people who are actually playing the game.” He continues, “There is one thing worse than your game play, though—your slop smoothie recipe. Double zing!”

David covers his mouth in an attempt to hide his laugh, but Zingbot catches him. “Oh, look at David. Smart enough to get that joke but not smart enough to stop wearing sweaters in the middle of summer. Zing!” 

Next to him, Patrick bumps his shoulder into David’s. “I think they’re sexy,” he whispers, making David blush.

“Paaa-trick,” Zingbot calls out. “I hope you know how lucky you are to have David. I’m still confused why he’d want to pick a thumb. Zing!”

Patrick chuckles at the joke, but David reaches out for Patrick’s hand. He was enjoying the zings until Zingbot brought up their relationship. What they have is too special, and the joke about Patrick is unfounded. Patrick squeezes his hand back reassuringly.

“Ha!” Ronnie laughs the hardest of all the houseguests. “I don’t laugh a lot, but that was good. The man looks like a thumb. Zing!”

Zingbot turns to her. “Nice to see you smile, Ronnie. The last time you were this happy was probably a 3-for-1 sale on cargo pants. Zing!”

The zing gets a laugh from everyone, and David starts to relax.

“Speaking of high fashion...” Zingbot starts. “What do you call a third wheel wrapped in plaid? Stevie! Zing!”

David groans at that one. Every year there’s at least one dud that doesn’t land as well as the others.

“I was worried I wouldn’t be funny compared to Ted,” Zingbot says, turning his attention to Ted. “But then I remembered his jokes are agoni-ZING!”

“Good pun!” Ted praises good-naturedly.

“That’s all I have for now,” Zingbot says, waving to everyone. He stops abruptly when he sees Rachel. “Sorry, Rachel,” he apologizes. “I didn’t see you there. Like Patrick, I forgot you existed the second I saw David. Zing!” Not waiting for the reaction, Zingbot starts walking back towards the diary room. “I’ll be back to host the veto!”

“Can’t wait to win and remind everyone I exist,” Rachel mutters, taking off towards the bedroom.

*

The houseguests make their way out to the yard where Zingbot is waiting for them. The six players each stand in front of their own slope as the other two - Twyla and Ronnie - sit on the side to watch. 

"If I didn't already mention it... today is my birthday," Zingbot tells them in his robot voice. "So this competition is called 'Happy Zing Day' and here's what I need you to do. I need someone to reach 250 energy points to power my birthday party. You will each toss your Zingtonium ball across your slope and catch it when it reaches the other side. When the ball crosses the top, you get an energy point. If at any time a ball drops, that player's score resets to zero. Whoever reaches 250 energy points first wins the Power of Veto and gets the honor of kick-starting my birthday party!" 

David's seen this competition before. Not with Zingbot but in other aspects. It never seemed easy but he knows that he just needs to go slow and not worry about how anyone else is doing. They are told to get ready before the buzzer sounds and they can start.

David grabs one of the small balls from his basket and gets started by tossing it across his slope where it rolls over the middle, giving him one point on his scoreboard, and rolling down the other side where he runs to catch it before it can fall. 

This competition will be a long one.

*

All Patrick can focus on is tossing the ball back and forth over his slope. Zingbot has been dishing out more zings throughout the competition, but Patrick has been ignoring them for the most part. He tries not to look over at anyone else's scoreboard in fear that it'll make him mess up. He's already dropped his ball a couple of times - once when he got to 30 points and the next when he was only at 10 points. Now he's finally hit the 100 mark and it's going well.

Zingbot announces their standings, "In the lead with 148 energy points is Ted. Close behind is David with 122 points. Patrick is at 105, and right behind him are Rachel and Ray with just under 100 points.” He adds another zing, “Unlike last week, you’re actually going to have to work for this veto, Rachel. Zing!" 

Knowing how close Rachel is to him lights a fire in Patrick, wanting to push harder to catch up to Ted and David but he knows if he goes too hard on just one toss and it drops, he'll be right back at the bottom of the leaderboard.

*

David’s feeling good. He's not in the lead which is fine because Ted is. Also, just one wrong move from Ted and he could take the lead. He's not thinking of that though. No, what he's thinking about is continuing his slow and steady method. He hasn't once dropped the ball and he's feeling proud of himself. 

Ted hasn't either and he's really impressed with the speed that he is going and not having dropped his ball. Ray and Rachel have dropped theirs the most. Patrick a couple of times but David is sure that's only because he really wants to win and he's going a little too hard with it.

*

"Darn it!" Ted yells as his ball hits the ground. 

His scoreboard resets to zero as Zingbot announces, "Sorry Ted, you are back to zero, which puts David in the lead, now hitting the 200 mark. Patrick is close behind at 164 points."

David feels the pressure now. He's almost there, he just can't lose his focus now.

“Be careful, David. If Patrick goes home, your showmance will be in need of a generator. Zing!” 

He tosses the ball over and over again, catching it each time, never missing a beat until finally his ball rolls over the slope earning him that 250 points he needs to win. 

"Congratulations, David, you have won the Power of Veto!" Zingbot announces. 

David almost collapses to the floor but Patrick is there to hold him up, hugging him tight.

"You did it!" Patrick says, laughing in his ear as he hugs him. 

David lets go to accept the veto necklace around his neck and everyone's congratulations, apart from one bitter nominee.

*

Back inside the house, production calls them one by one to do their diary room entries for the competition. David's glad he got to go first so that he could shower and change back into his comfortable clothes. He grabs a snack from the storage room when the door opens. Ted walks in and is grinning. He waits until the door is securely closed behind him before clapping David on the shoulder, not too hard since they are both pretty sore after that competition. 

"That was amazing!" Ted tells him.

"Thanks," David smiles. "You did pretty good yourself."

Ted waves his praise off and says, "We'll talk more later, the three of us, but good job man. This is perfect."

"Yeah, I -" he lets out a breathy laugh. "I wasn't sure about your plan but I'm glad that this is how it turned out. I'll be able to keep him safe and we can get her out."

"Exactly. We hold the power this week, not her. She's leaving on Thursday, and it'll be sweet for Alexis to see her following her into jury," Ted says.

"She's going to love it and be very pleased that you did this for her," David tells him.

Ted beams. He leaves the room with a final nod before David takes his snack and leaves after him. 

He just wishes he could see Alexis's face when Rachel joins her in jury. He's sure it'll be priceless. 

*

David enters the bedroom that night to find Patrick alone. “Where’s Stevie? I thought she was in here?”

“She convinced Twyla to play some chess before bed.” Patrick grins. “She thought I might want to thank you for winning.”

“That doesn’t sound like Stevie,” David says, slipping into the bed.

“Okay, maybe she said it more like she didn’t want to be around while I thanked you.”

“Now that sounds like her.”

Patrick shifts closer to David, resting his head on David’s chest. He idly traces random patterns across David’s stomach. “Thank you for winning.”

“Well I certainly wasn’t going to let Ted’s dumb plan fail,” David huffs. He makes a grab for Patrick’s hand. “Stop, that tickles.”

“Really? That’s something to explore.” Patrick turns his head to kiss David’s neck. “Where else are you ticklish?”

“What about you?” David slips a hand under his shirt, his fingers dancing across Patrick’s skin. It earns him an involuntary kick from Patrick. “Hey!”

“Your fault!” Patrick leans in to kiss him, distracting David enough for him to stop. They break away, both still laughing. Patrick pulls away enough to look up at David’s face. “Hey, are you okay? I know you weren’t happy with my zing earlier.”

“He called you a _thumb_. And made it sound like I wouldn’t choose you outside of this house. It’s absurd! You’re the most attractive person I’ve ever been with–”

“–Pretty sure some actual models would disagree with that,” Patrick interrupts.

“And the nicest, most generous, most loving–”

“–David,” Patrick interrupts again. “Thank you, but you don’t need to convince me.”

David eyes him warily. “Are you sure? Because I want to make sure you know.”

“You show me every day how much I mean to you,” Patrick assures him. “And Zingbot got it right, anyway. I am lucky to have met you in this house. It’s not like we were likely to run into each other from two completely different parts of the country.”

“You do, too,” David says. “Show me every day how much I mean to you.” 

“Good. Now that we’ve got that settled, maybe we can put this alone time to good use?”

A knock on the door interrupts their plan. “Is the coast clear?”

“Ugh, yes.” David pulls Patrick back down to cuddle against his chest. “One of us better win HoH next week. I miss that room.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> I hope everyone is doing well and are keeping safe and healthy. Thank you for your continued support and love on this fic, and for all your wonderful comments.  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double eviction shocks the house. Who will be left standing by the end of it?

**DAY 61**

Waking up on the day of the Power of Veto ceremony has David feeling giddy since he's the one with the power. He smiles as he feels Patrick kiss his neck and tighten his arms around him. He moans softly as he pushes back into him. He feels the smile on his neck from Patrick. 

"Morning," Patrick mumbles into his neck before placing another kiss, making butterflies erupt inside of David. 

Patrick's hand slides down the front of David from where it was laying on his chest down lower and cupping the front of his sweatpants. 

David moans softly, trying not to moan loudly. "Are we alone?" he asks softly, not able to see Stevie in her bed since he's facing the wall. 

"Yes," Patrick whispers hotly into his ear before nipping at his earlobe. 

David moans a little louder but still trying to keep it down as Patrick moves his hand across his growing erection through his pants. He pushes his ass back into Patrick, feeling his hardness pressed against him. Patrick moans into his neck, kissing him there with an open mouth, teasing him slightly with his tongue as his hand slips into his pants, taking hold of his big, hard cock in his hand.

" _Fuck_ , Patrick," he moans softly, pressing even harder back into him, his hand reaching back to grab hold of Patrick's hip. Patrick rocks into him slightly as he strokes David's cock. David meets every one of Patrick's movements, wanting badly to get his own hands on Patrick but not wanting this to stop because of how good it feels. 

There's a knock on the door so they completely halt their movements but no one enters. Instead, they hear Stevie say, "You two about ready to join us for breakfast?" 

"Ugh," David groans, as Patrick chuckles.

"We'll be right out," Patrick calls back and soon they hear Stevie walk away.

The two of them lay on their backs before looking at each other and laughing. "Of course this happens," David says.

Patrick turns on his right to face David again, leaning closer and kissing him softly on the lips. "Mmm," he moans into it before pulling back. "We'll just have to come to bed before her tonight so we can pick up where we left off."

David smirks at his boyfriend. "Mm, can't wait," he murmurs before kissing him softly on the lips. 

They get out of bed and dress before joining their housemates for breakfast. 

*

David instructs everyone to meet him in the living room for the PoV ceremony. Once Rachel and Patrick are in the nomination chairs and the remaining few houseguests are sitting on the sofas, he begins, "This is the Power of Veto ceremony. Rachel and Patrick have been nominated for eviction but I have the power to veto one of the nominations. This was a very easy decision to make seeing as I am one of the nominees’ biggest targets and I am close to the other. So for those obvious reasons, I have decided to use the Power of Veto on Patrick."

Patrick smiles as he stands and makes his way to David who places the necklace around his neck. Patrick takes a seat on the sofa next to Ted.

"Ted, now that I have just vetoed one of your nominations, you will have to name a replacement nominee," David tells him before sitting on the other sofa next to Stevie. 

Ted stands, wiping his palms down his jean-clad thighs. "I'm sorry but I choose Twyla. My target still stands, I want Rachel out. Twyla, you are merely a pawn." Twyla stands and sits in the vacant nomination chair next to Rachel who takes her hand and smiles at her sadly.

Ted sits back down and David stands, he says, "This Power of Veto ceremony is adjourned," before closing the box.

*

The day went by pretty slowly after the Power of Veto competition. Since David used the veto on Patrick and the obvious target is Rachel against Twyla, everyone has just been doing their own thing or hanging out and just talking about life and what they think might be happening on the outside. 

David plays some chess against Ronnie who subtly tries to get some game information from him but ultimately they just talk about life and find they have quite a bit in common when it comes to how they came out to their families. 

Patrick plays pool with Stevie as Ray sits and watches, talking the entire time about random things as usual.

Twyla and Rachel spend a lot of time on the hammock together, seeing as they will be split up come Thursday. Ted flits through the house but ultimately spending some time alone on the sofa or in his HoH room, wishing Alexis was here, and talking to the camera about how much he misses her and wondering how she's handling spending the week by herself in the jury.

They all come together to have dinner at the kitchen table. There are no have-nots, that being done for the summer, so Ray with the help of Twyla and Ted, makes dinner for everyone. They laugh, they talk, they enjoy the delicious meal, before they go back to doing other things. 

By the end of the night, David and Patrick sneak off to bed a little early, knowing Stevie won't be coming to bed yet. Once David's done his skin care routine, they've brushed their teeth, and changed into their pajamas, they close the bedroom door and slip into their bed together, their mic packs on the bed next to theirs.

"Finally," David says with a smirk as he wraps his arm around Patrick's neck, pulling him into a kiss. 

Patrick chuckles against the kiss before David deepens it and it becomes a moan. Patrick pulls the covers above them so they're shielded from the cameras. The lights in the room are thankfully closed and they can pretend it's just the two of them.

David hooks his leg over Patrick's hip, pressing himself against him. They can feel each other's erections as they move slowly against each other, not wanting the sheets to move too much so that anyone watching the live feeds sees and assumes what they are doing.

They grope each other, hands all over one another, pulling each other closer even though there is no more room to spare between them. Patrick pulls back slightly, removing his shirt and David does the same. They keep the shirts under the covers with them, not wanting to expose themselves to the cameras right now. 

They press back against one another, now skin to skin, and both moan into their kiss. David kisses Patrick messily, all tongue and teeth, knowing how turned on that gets his boyfriend. 

Patrick ruts against him harder as he slides his hand through David's chest hair and around to his back. His hand moves down, feeling the muscles in his back before grabbing onto his ass. David moans into the kiss, grinding against Patrick even harder, wanting more. 

Patrick slips his hand into the waistband of David's sweatpants, grabbing onto his cheek and spreading it apart. 

" _Mmm_ , Patrick," he moans against his lips before trailing them down his jaw and to his neck. Patrick presses his finger against David's hole, not going in, but just applying some pressure to it which gets David even harder, more turned on. " _Fuck_ , I want you inside me so badly," David says hotly into his ear before nipping at his earlobe and trailing his lips and tongue down his neck. 

" _David_ ," Patrick moans, the only word able to leave his mouth seeing as all thoughts and sight are on David. 

David slips his hand into Patrick's pajamas as well, taking hold of his hard cock. He moans against his neck, loving the feel of his perfect shaft in his hand. He's been with many people before but Patrick's dick is the most perfect he's ever seen. He strokes him gently since they have no lubricants but it spurs Patrick on because he rocks into each stroke, pressing his finger harder against David's hole, breaching just slightly. They both shimmy out of their pants slightly before getting right back to what they were doing, feeling even better since now their hard cocks are sliding against each other. 

"I'm close," Patrick whispers to him as David takes his cock back in hand and continues stroking him. 

David kisses him on the lips, fucking his mouth with his tongue to get him there faster and it does. Patrick comes hard into David's fist as his hand that's toying with his hole, grips onto him tighter, his finger sliding a little more inside of David. 

David comes hard when Patrick whispers, "Come for me, baby." 

They lick their hands clean, wishing badly they could have sucked each other off or finally had sex instead, but this will do for now. 

They slip their shirts back on before removing the covers from above their heads and cuddle up together. They're still slightly out of breath from their intense organs so they don't speak, just lay there together, enjoying each other's company and love. 

They hear the door slide open and Stevie enter the room. She grabs some clothes and leaves before coming back and slipping into her bed. 

"Smells like sex in here," she tells them.

"Jealous much?" David teases.

Patrick chuckles lightly, tightening his hold around David. "Yeah, can I watch next time?" She asks but they both know she's bullshitting them.

"Ew, please don't," David says, making them all chuckle. 

They say their goodnights before Patrick kisses David's neck softly in that spot he loves so much. "I love you," he whispers.

David smiles in the darkness, pressing himself further into Patrick's warm and comforting embrace. "I love you," he whispers before they fall asleep, knowing that they're both safe this week and have another week in the house together. 

**DAY 64**

“The entire house will be surprised when they learn that not one, but two houseguests will be leaving the house tonight. Moments from now, either Rachel or Twyla will be evicted. Then, the houseguests will battle it out to become the new Head of Household,” Moira says into the camera. “That HoH must immediately nominate two houseguests for eviction. The Power of Veto competition will be played and a second houseguest will be sent packing. So, who will be left when the night is through? We’ll soon find out,” she continues.

The camera pans to the living room where the houseguests are gathered. Rachel and Twyla sit on the nominee chairs.

“But first–,” Moira says as the camera pans back to her. “–for the past nine weeks, Rachel has made it clear she wants David out of the house. But she’s the one on the chopping block tonight. Has her time in the house come to an end or will we say goodbye to Twyla? Let’s find out.”

*

The houseguests are sitting awaiting for Moira to appear. She does and greets them, "Good evening, houseguests."

They all greet her back before she continues, "There's no time to waste because tonight is a double eviction."

David mutters, "I knew it," and Patrick puts his hand on his lower back briefly. They have to survive tonight, they cannot be broken apart on a double. 

"Rachel, Twyla, you both have been nominated for eviction. You each have thirty seconds to plead your case to your housemates. Rachel, you can go first."

Rachel stands, dressed in a cute floral print dress that stops mid-thigh. Her hair is curled and her make up looks good, obviously she knows she doesn't have a chance to stay. "Thank you, Moira," she says. "Love to my family, I miss you all every day. To my housemates, I know I'm the target and most obvious choice to leave against Twyla who has been the best friend to me in here, really my only friend. I just hope that you decide to keep me because you see the benefit to keeping me around. You all know who my target is and has been, that has not changed. I respect your decision nonetheless and I wish you all good luck tonight." 

Rachel sits back down as Moira thanks her and then tells Twyla she's next. Twyla stands and smiles, "Being the pawn is not fun. I've been nominated more than anyone else and it sucks to be nominated against you, Rachel. I hope you vote to keep me tonight and that I am the best for your game. I respect your decision either way, this summer has been the best experience of my life and I care for all of you very much." 

Twyla sits back down, Rachel taking her hand in hers. "Thank you both," Moira says. "It’s time for the live vote. The two nominees are not allowed to vote, neither is the HoH. The rest of you will enter the diary room one by one and cast your vote to evict. David, you're up first, please head to the diary room."

*

"All of the votes are in," Moira tells them once the last houseguest, Patrick, sits back down on the sofa next to David. "Once I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say goodbye, gather her belongings, and walk out the front door. By a vote of 5 to 0, Rachel, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house."

Rachel nods before standing, expecting this outcome. She hugs Twyla before heading to the door where she hugs everyone except for Stevie and David who stayed closer to the couches. 

Patrick hugs her last as he stands by the door. "I'm sorry," he whispers to her.

"It's okay," she says back before letting go. She smiles at him softly before saying goodbye one last time and leaving the Big Brother house.

The remaining houseguests aren't given much time, just enough to use the washroom or anything else they need to do while Moira interviews Rachel outside. Then they are all told to head out into the yard for the HoH competition. 

*

In the backyard, each houseguest except for Ted is standing behind their own closed-off podiums so they cannot see each other or how they answer. 

“This competition is called ‘Name that Speech.’ Ted, as outgoing Head of Household, you are not eligible to compete,” Moira begins to introduce the competition. “The rest of you will hear a series of memorable quotes from evicted houseguests. Your job is to identify who said it and raise the paddle with that houseguests’ face on it. Listen carefully because the evicted houseguests’ voices will be disguised. Each correct answer is worth one point. The houseguest with the most points after seven questions will become the new Head of Household. Are you ready?”

After a chorus of yes responses from the houseguests, Moira says, “Let’s begin with quote number one.”

“I just think everyone should know the kind of person you are. When I was HoH last week, I could have gone after you, but I didn’t. You should have shown me the same courtesy.” 

David quickly grabs the Jake paddle, remembering his blow up at Patrick.

“Congratulations, you all get a point,” Moira says once everyone has a paddle raised. “Reset, please.” 

David lowers his paddle and takes a deep breath. _I can win this_ , he thinks to himself. Double evictions are always a whirlwind. Decisions need to be made so quickly that there’s never enough time for discussion. He needs to guarantee that he, Patrick, and Stevie survive the night.

Moira repeats herself, asking everyone to reset. After a pause, she says, “Reset, Twyla,” firmer this time. “Okay, here’s the second quote.”

“I don’t want you in this house,” another distorted voice begins. “–or in this game.”

“I need your final answers,” Moira says, waiting for Stevie to pick between the two paddles in her hand. Stevie finally holds up Rachel’s face.

“That was Gwen,” Moira announces. “Everyone gets a point except for Stevie and Twyla.”

“The local salon in my town has a haircut named after me,” a third distorted voice says.

Everyone quickly holds up their paddle with Jocelyn’s face, the distorted voice doing nothing to disguise the story Jocelyn told during their game of two truths and a lie.

“Congratulations, you all get a point. Now for quote number four.”

“I have a couple million followers on Instagram.”

Just as quickly, everyone holds up Klair’s face, remembering her introduction on the first night.

“You all get a point! David, Patrick, Ray, and Ronnie all have four points. Stevie and Twyla have three.”

“What a handsome son of a bitch,” says the next disguised voice.

David, Patrick, and Stevie are all quick to hold up their paddle with Jake’s face. Ronnie and Twyla hold up Miguel’s face. Ray has each of them in one hand before finally deciding to hold up Jake.

“The correct answer was Jake,” Moira says. “That leaves David, Patrick, and Ray with five points. Stevie and Ronnie each have four points, and Twyla has three.”

The fifth quote, “I thought we were good, how could just blindside me like this?” is correctly identified by everyone as being Alexis’.

“How exciting!” Moira exclaims. “David, Patrick, and Ray have all played perfect games so far and have six points. If they all get this next quote incorrect, Stevie and Ronnie—who are right behind them with five points—have a chance to win. I’m sorry, Twyla, but with four points, you do not.”

David smiles as he waits for the final quote. They’re in a good place. It’s between him, Patrick, and Ray to win.

“I think people are looking at me like I'm a threat when they should be looking at me like an ally they could have."

David is first to hold up his paddle, Patrick and Ray soon behind.

“It looks like we’re going to a tie breaker,” Moira announces. “The correct answer was Mutt.”

Biting his lip, David crosses his fingers that he’s about to compete head-to-head with Patrick.

“David and Ray, please reach down and pick up the chalkboard and chalk.” She waits until they do so to continue. “Whoever comes closest to the correct answer will become the new Head of Household. The tie breaker question is… How long was the HoH competition ‘The Wall’ from start to finish in seconds?”

David begins scribbling out some math on his chalkboard. He knows Ted won the competition after four hours, but he’s not sure how much past four hours. It was probably under four and a half hours, otherwise that’s how it would have been announced, he reasons. He calculates how many seconds are in four hours and ten minutes, hoping that playing it safe will give him an advantage over Ray.

“Okay, your answers are locked in,” Moira says once both David and Ray have revealed their chalkboards. “The correct answer is 15,202 seconds,” Moira says.

David looks down at this chalkboard, confident. He’s only a few minutes off.

“With an answer of 15,108 seconds, congratulations, Ray! You’re the new Head of Household. You’ll only have a few minutes to decide your nominations.”

A bad feeling settles in the pit of David’s stomach. His alliances have never taken the time to talk strategy with Ray, and with the fast pace of tonight, there won’t be any time to start. There’s a good chance this won’t end well for them.

*

As soon as they’re let back into the house, Ronnie pulls Ray into one of the bedrooms. She closes the door behind her, standing in between it and Ray. No one else is going to get a chance to talk to him, if she has any say in it. “Nominate David and Patrick,” she tells him. “They’re obviously working together and they’ve already won a lot.”

Ray nods, thinking about it. “But one of them could win the veto.”

Shrugging, Ronnie waves off the argument. “And then you put Stevie up. She’s probably working with them. You can make a really big move here. Don’t waste the opportunity.”

“I know exactly what to do,” Ray says, just as Moira’s voice can be heard telling everyone to meet in the living room.

“You’re a good man,” Ronnie tells him, leading the way to the living room. She takes a seat next to Twyla, happy to have secured their safety for the week, so far.

Ted sits on Twyla’s other side, and on the other couch, David is sitting between Patrick and Stevie. There’s virtually no space between Patrick and David, and one of Patrick’s hands is hidden behind David’s back. 

“Congratulations on your very first HoH, Ray!” Moira says. “But we haven’t any time to waste, so please tell us who you would like to nominate.”

Ray faces the rest of the housemates. “I’m sorry, but I have to nominate an obvious duo.”

Ronnie snickers as she watches the frown grow on Patrick’s face. This could be the last day she has to deal with that thumb. 

“I nominate David and Stevie,” Ray finishes.

Ronnie snaps her head back towards Ray. That is not what they discussed. What is he thinking?

“David and Stevie, please take your places in the nomination chairs. I’ll be back for the Power of Veto competition shortly,” Moira directs before disappearing from the screen.

Jumping up, Ronnie grabs Ray and all but drags him back towards the bedroom. “What did we just discuss? David and _Patrick_. Stevie is only supposed to be a replacement nominee if needed.”

“I respect your advice, Ronnie,” Ray says. “But I think Patrick and I have grown quite close in the house. He listens to all my stories.”

“We all do,” Ronnie counters. “You force us to listen.”

Ray continues as if he doesn’t hear her. “I feel bad enough nominating David. I couldn’t nominate Patrick also. It would ruin our friendship.”

“You have to be kidding me,” Ronnie mutters under her breath. Before she can say anything else to Ray, production calls for everyone to gather outside for the PoV competition.

*

“Welcome back,” Moira tells the audience. “Before the break, Ray won Head of Household and had to immediately nominate two houseguests for eviction. He nominated both David and Stevie. Now the three of them must compete for the Power of Veto, along with Patrick, Ronnie, and Twyla, who were randomly selected. Let’s get started!”

The camera pans to the backyard where each of the veto competitors are standing at the end of their own colored lane. Beside them are buzzers and at the other end of the lanes is a ball pit divided into six sections. In the middle, there’s a large rainbow-colored hump, each stripe corresponding with the lane colors.

“Houseguests,” Moira says, getting everyone’s attention. “This competition is called ‘Somewhere Over the Veto,’ and how it works is simple—I will ask you for three specific items. As soon as you hear me say go, you will race down your lane, over the rainbow obstacle, and search your ball pit for the item. One item at a time, you’ll race back over the rainbow, item in hand, to the other side of your lane. After hitting your buzzer, you’ll make this trip two more times until you’ve retrieved all three items. Once you hit the buzzer after collecting all three items, you’ll race back to your ball pit a final time to grab the veto that is hanging on the wall beside your ball pit. The player to correctly grab all three items and the veto in the fastest time will become the winner of the Power of Veto. Does everyone understand?”

Everyone says yes and soon the competition begins on Moira’s mark.

*

David hurdles himself over the rainbow obstacle as quickly as he can and runs toward his ball pit. His hushed conversation with Patrick as they made their way outside after the nominations repeats over and over in his head as he jumps into the ball pit. Patrick made him promise to try his hardest to win the veto and secure his own safety. 

He plans to try his hardest, but the consequences of him or Stevie winning could be Patrick going up as the replacement nominee. And there’s no doubt in his mind that if Ronnie wins, she would use the veto solely so Patrick could be nominated and evicted. The best case scenario is for Patrick to win this veto.

The three items Moira asked the players to collect are a white golf ball from one of their previous HoH competitions, a box of slop, and a drink from the OTEV competition. The six players are moving as fast as they can, each of them wanting to win to secure their safety during the double. 

Ronnie is the first one to bring an item back, a drink from the OTEV competition. When her buzzer fails to sound, she hits it again, frustrated.

“Sorry, Ronnie,” Moira’s voice calls out. “That’s not what I asked for.”

“What are you talking abou–” Ronnie looks down and curses, realizing the drink labeled Ronnie-rita couldn’t have been from the OTEV competition; those drinks were of only evicted houseguests. She tosses it aside and runs back to the other end of her lane, annoyed to see Patrick making his way with an item.

Patrick successfully rings in his first item—the box of slop—and runs back. David buzzes in a drink, the correct one after having found a decoy first and knowing enough to toss it aside. Ronnie runs up to buzz in her box of slop, with Patrick right behind her with his drink.

“Patrick has two of his three items in,” Moira announces. “Ronnie and David each have one.”

Twyla and Ray buzz in their first items, just as David brings his golf ball.

Patrick starts flinging balls out of his pit, searching for his last item, the golf ball. "Where is it," he mutters to himself. He sees a flash of white against the yellow balls and lunges for it. As soon as his hand closes on it, he jumps out of the pit and crosses over the rainbow obstacle.

Ronnie closes in on him as he hits his buzzer. Not sure whether or not that's her last item, Patrick thinks of David’s possible eviction and uses that motivation to run faster, grabbing the veto, and making it back to his buzzer.

“Congratulations, Patrick, you have won the Power of Veto!”

“Boom, baby!” he exclaims, pumped that he was able to pull this off. He can see his alliance beaming for him that he won and hugs them both separately. 

He whispers into Stevie’s ear as he hugs her, “You’re not going anywhere, don’t worry.” He’s obviously going to save David but there’s no chance they are going to sit by and let her leave tonight.

*

As they walk back into the house, Patrick’s torn between grabbing a few private moments to celebrate with David and spending that time to ensure the rest of his alliances are safe. What’s most important is that David is safe, but now they need to make sure that the replacement nominee goes home over Stevie. Preferably, Ronnie or Twyla instead of Ted. 

His decision is made for him when he sees Ted pull Ray aside. With Ted hopefully convincing Ray to keep him from being a replacement nominee, Patrick is free to lead David into the storage room.

“Thank you,” David says, launching himself into Patrick’s arms as soon as the door closes between them and the rest of the house. “You did it.”

“I couldn’t risk you going home.” Patrick wraps his arms around David, pulling him closer.

“That was hard. I didn’t want to win,” David sobs, hiding his face in Patrick’s shoulder. “I wanted both of us safe, not just myself.”

“We are.” Patrick kisses the top of his head. “We’re both safe. And I saw Ted talking to Ray. That’s good.” 

“If he goes up…” David trails off, not wanting to finish the thought.

He doesn’t need to, Patrick knowing exactly what he fears. If the votes fall to him and David versus Ronnie and Twyla, Ray will have to break a tie and Stevie will probably be sent home. They need Ted’s vote to keep the power.

David moves his head to rest on Patrick’s shoulder and looks up at him. “Thank you for keeping us safe.”

Patrick lets go of his boyfriend with one hand to wipe away at the tears that have fallen down David’s face. “You’d do the same. You already did.”

"That was different," David argues. "You weren't a target."

"But I was still facing eviction and you won the veto to make sure Ted’s plan didn't backfire. And you'd do it again."

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” David says fiercely. “I’ve never wanted to protect someone outside of my family as much as I want to protect you. And I’ve never–I’ve never trusted that anyone would protect me like I trust you.”

Moira’s call for everyone to gather in the living room keeps Patrick from responding. He’s not sure what he would say, anyway. He’s glad he’s able to do all that for David, but it breaks his heart that David hasn’t had anyone like that in his life before. He pulls him in for a kiss before letting go so they can head to the living room.

“It took you long enough,” Moira teases once they’ve joined everyone else.

David takes his seat next to Stevie, reaching out to grab her hand and squeeze it.

“I suppose this is just a formality, but Patrick, do you wish to use the Power of Veto?” Moira asks.

Patrick holds back a chuckle at her departure from the norm. He schools his features as he faces the nomination chairs. “Sorry, Stevie. I’m obviously going to use the veto to save David.” He wants to say more to her— how he wishes he could save both of them—but he can’t tip his hand yet. Hopefully, he’ll have the chance to tell her all those things later tonight but he’s sure she knows by the small smile she gives him.

“Ray, as Patrick has just saved one of your nominations, you’ll need to nominate another houseguest.”

Ray stands and faces his only three options. “I have decided to nominate Twyla. I’m sorry,” he tells her.

“Twyla, please take a seat,” Moira says, surprisingly sympathetically. “I’ll be back in a few minutes for the live eviction.”

*

As they have a few minutes before the eviction, they all stand to discuss what to do in their own groups. David pulls Ted aside, taking him into the storage room. 

Ted hugs him and says, “I’m so glad the three of us aren’t in danger, that was a close one.”

“I know, you have to tell us about your chat with Ray but later. Now, you need to vote to keep Stevie,” David tells him.

“I don’t know… Twyla isn’t a threat,” Ted says hesitantly.

“Stevie will be a vote on our side. Twyla is with Ronnie. Ray is sort of a floater but by nominating me and Stevie he is more with Ronnie and Twyla than with us. If we keep Stevie we will have the power in the house with the four of us, they will only be two,” David tells him, needing him to see why she is the best option to stay.

Ted nods, seeming to realize how right David is. “You’re right,” he voices. “Let’s do this,” he says more pumped than before. 

David smiles and pulls him in for another hug. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he tells him.

“You, too.”

Moira calls them back to the living room so the two hurry back, taking their spot on the sofa. “Stevie and Twyla, you have both been nominated for eviction. You each have thirty seconds to plead your case to your housemates. Twyla, you can go first this time,” Moira tells them.

Twyla stands, seemingly distraught. “Deja vu,” she says, making them chuckle. “I’m not going to lie and say this doesn’t suck because it does. I’m constantly the pawn and it doesn’t feel good. I do hope you keep me and my previous statement stands, I love you all and I hope I’m what’s best for your game, thank you.” 

“Thank you, Twyla. Stevie,” Moira says when Twyla sits back down.

Stevie stands and says, “I wasn’t expecting this double like any of you so I don’t really know what to say. People keep assuming I’m in an obvious duo when I am not. I have no bad words to say about Twyla, I just hope that you see the benefit to keeping me with my wins and how I can help you get further in this game. Um, thanks.”

She sits back down and Moira thanks them both. “The two nominees are not allowed to vote. Ray you will only vote in the event of a tie. The rest of you will enter the diary room and cast your vote to evict, again. Ronnie, you’re up first.”

*

“All of the votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest will have just a few moments to say goodbye, gather her belongings, and walk out the front door. By a vote of 3 to 1, Twyla you have been evicted from the Big Brother house,” Moira informs them.

Ronnie and Ray are shocked, expecting it to be a tie and for Ray to break it and send Stevie out. They all stand and escort Twyla to the door where they all say goodbye as they hug her.

She leaves the house and they all head to the memory wall to watch her picture turn to black and white.

Stevie hugs Patrick, David, and Ted, thanking them all silently for keeping her. Once Twyla’s picture turns black and white, Ronnie says, “Congratulations, y'all have successfully taken over this house,” as she looks to the four of them before stalking off towards the bedrooms. Ray looks sad but he gives them a small smile before following Ronnie.

“We should all talk after the next HoH competition,” David tells them.

“Agreed,” Ted says with a nod.

“As long as one of us four wins it, we should be okay,” Patrick tells them. The four of them nod, all on the same page. 

Now they just need to wait for production to tell them it’s time for the next HoH competition.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a whirlwind double eviction, who will become the next HoH? And who will they nominate for eviction?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! Merry Christmas eve eve!  
> Hope you're all having a wonderful day and we wish you all a wonderful Christmas to those who celebrate!  
> Thanks for the constant support and love on this fic, it means the world to us. Hope you enjoy this chapter 💖

**DAY 64 (cont.)**

After Ronnie and Ray walk off, the four of them—David, Patrick, Stevie, and Ted—decide to have a conversation. They sit at the kitchen table to not be too obvious that they are having a game discussion.

“She cannot win,” David tells them, referring to Ronnie since Ray is outgoing HoH and cannot play.

“It’s four against one, we can do this,” Ted tells them.

“We need to make sure one of us wins this then we can put _them_ up,” Patrick says.

“And if one of them wins veto?” Stevie asks.

“The other will leave. We are the majority if we stick together,” David says. “Best case is to get her out. He is more easily persuaded than she is.”

“Agreed.”

Stevie turns to look at Ted and says, “I want to thank you for voting to keep me. If not Ray would have split the tie and I would have left. So um, thanks.”

Ted smiles at her. “You’re welcome, Stevie. David said that I can trust you and I trust David,” he tells her.

She nods, grateful that her number one ally had her back. A thought pops into her head so she asks, “What happens if she wins?”

David groans, “That cannot happen but if she does, we need to convince her to put Ray up.”

“That might be tricky, considering she just called us all out like that,” Patrick tells him.

“That’s why we can’t even consider her winning. Like Ted said, it’s four against one. We got this,” David tells them. He needs to keep saying it so he believes it too. Ronnie winning is the _worst_ case scenario.

*

Ronnie heads to her bedroom, pissed off. She wants to break something or maybe punch a wall, but instead, she paces the room she usually sleeps in, muttering to herself and balling up her hands into fists. She hears someone coming and sees Ray pop in. Ray. The only person she can trust but he didn’t do what she asked. 

“What the hell was that Ray?!” she asks him, fuming.

Ray shrugs. “I don’t know, I thought I would be breaking the tie. They got Ted to vote with them.”

“Duh, that’s not what I meant though! Why didn’t you just put David against Patrick? He would have used it on himself then Stevie would have been up against David and one of them would be gone and Twyla would still be here.”

Ray frowns, “I’m sorry but I can’t regret my decision. It was my HoH and that was my decision at the moment. I’m sorry your friend left but this is a game. You will win this next HoH, I feel it,” he tells her smiling by the end, back to his happy-go-lucky self.

Ronnie groans. “I have no choice to win. You can’t play and if any of _them_ win then it’s the two of us on the block.”

*

Production interrupts all their conversations by telling them to head out to the backyard for the HoH competition. The final six step into the yard and see the same kind of set up they had for the last HoH competition, however there are also items placed all around the yard in different showcases. It’s also set up like a cafe and it reminds David a lot of the cafe in Schitt’s Creek.

Ray hosts the competition so he tells them, “There are a number of odd items placed in the yard in various showcases. Each showcase consists of two parts: a display containing a small amount of the item, with a sign showing exactly how much of the item is in that display. And secondly, a larger display containing a much larger amount of the item. Before the competition is to begin, you have just a few moments to look at each showcase.”

The five players walk around the yard looking at the various showcases and trying to estimate how much is in the larger one. The smaller display tells you how much is in it but it’s hard to estimate how much is actually in the larger one. 

“Time is up. Everyone please get into your positions,” Ray tells them after some time. The five players walk into their stands - the set up is the same as the HoH played during the double. 

When everyone is in position Ray begins, “This competition is called [‘Stay or Fold’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF9cE_xMs8o), at the beginning of each round I will ask you to write down your guess of an item that is in one of the larger displays. You can either choose to ‘stay’ with your estimate or you can ‘fold’. If you decide to ‘stay’, the person closest to the correct answer will be given one point, while the person who is farthest away from the correct answer is eliminated. Those who ‘fold’ cannot be eliminated, but are also unable to earn points. The first houseguest to earn three points or the last houseguest to be eliminated will become HoH. Does everyone understand?”

Everyone says yes so Ray starts the competition with, “There are eight espresso cups hanging on the wall of the cafe, how many espresso cups are hanging on the larger display?”

The houseguests all grab their boards before looking at the wall again to figure out how many cups are there. They don’t have much time before they need to write in their estimates.

David wants to believe his estimate is close to the actual number and ‘stay’ but if he stays and is furthest from it he will be eliminated and that can’t happen. 

“Please lock in your answers,” Ray tells them.

The five players put their chalkboard in the slot available in front of them before Ray asks them to read out loud their estimates.

“450 espresso cups,” David says.

“365 espresso cups,” Stevie says.

“520 espresso cups,” Ted says.

“490 espresso cups,” Patrick says.

And lastly Ronnie says, “480 espresso cups.”

All of their estimates are pretty close and it makes David think that maybe he should ‘stay’ since he didn’t give the lowest or highest number, but he doesn’t know who will stay or fold.

“Are you going to ‘stay’ or ‘fold’?” Ray asks them. “Please lock in your answers.”

Each player puts their ‘stay’ or ‘fold’ card in the slot available right below their estimated guesses. “Stevie and David have both folded so it’s between Ted, Patrick, and Ronnie,” Ray informs them. “The correct answer is 482 espresso cups. Ronnie, you have earned a point. Ted, with your estimate of 520 being the furthest from the correct answer, you have been eliminated.”

Ted nods, disappointed and a little frustrated. He puts his boards away before stepping down and going to sit off to the side.

David’s glad he folded but now that Ronnie has a point he might not be able to fold again.

“There are 60 pieces of fruit in the crate. How many pieces of fruit are in all of the containers combined?” Ray asks for the next question.

They look at the fruit and try to do some quick math. Stevie feels like she’s struggling, math isn’t her strong suit. Patrick knows he can win this, he just needs to be smart about how he makes his estimates.

They each write down their answers and Ray asks them to say out loud their estimates.

David says, “900 pieces of fruit.”

“720 pieces of fruit,” says Stevie.

“1060 pieces of fruit,” Patrick says.

Ronnie says, “930 pieces of fruit.”

“Are you going to ‘stay’ or ‘fold’?” Ray asks them. “Please lock in your answers.”

Each player puts their ‘stay’ or ‘fold’ card in the slot available right below their estimated guesses. “Everyone except for Patrick has folded, so Patrick you have earned one point.”

David grins, proud that someone in his alliance earned them a point. “The correct answer was 1083 pieces of fruit.”

“Wow,” Patrick mutters to himself, he would have won regardless of who folded.

“Next round,” Ray says. “There are 24 donuts on the table. How many donuts are on the larger display on the counter?”

They look at the display and it’s hard to guess since they’re scattered on different displays all over the counter and behind it. Ray tells them to lock in their answers so they finish what they were writing and show their boards.

“Please reveal your answers.”

“410 donuts,” David says.

“360 donuts,” Stevie says.

“398 donuts,” Patrick says.

“590 donuts,” Ronnie says.

“Are you going to ‘stay’ or ‘fold’?” Ray asks them. “Please lock in your answers.” 

David’s not sure what to do, he’s right in between Stevie and Patrick’s answers. His best bet is to fold since he can’t be eliminated but right now Patrick and Ronnie are tied. 

“Everyone has decided to stay,” Ray informs them. “The correct answer is 559 donuts. Ronnie, you have earned another point since you are closest to the correct answer. I’m sorry Stevie, with the furthest estimate to the correct answer, you have been eliminated.”

Stevie goes to sit with Ted, and David is cursing himself that Ronnie is in the lead. This cannot be happening. He needs to kick it into high gear and earn a point.

“There are 30 cake-pops in the smaller display, how many cake-pops are in the larger display?” Ray asks for the next round.

They are asked to reveal their answers.

“400 cake-pops,” David says.

“621 cake-pops,” Patrick says.

“533 cake-pops,” Ronnie says.

 _Fuck_ , David thinks. He’s the lowest number but with Ronnie already having two points he can’t fold.

“Are you going to ‘stay’ or ‘fold’?” Ray asks them. “Please lock in your answers.” After a pause to let them put their ‘stay’ or ‘fold’ cards, Ray says, “Everyone has decided to stay. The correct answer is 550 cake-pops. Congratulations Ronnie! You are the new Head of Household.”

“Fuck,” David mutters to himself.

“Yes!” Ronnie cheers as she rushes out of her stand and over to Ray who puts the HoH key around her neck and hugs him. “This is for you Twy!”

*

As everyone heads back into the house, Patrick doesn’t need to look at David to know he’s spiralling from Ronnie’s win. Hell, he’s spiralling. “C’mon,” he says, taking David’s hand and leading him towards their bedroom. Closing the door behind them, he pulls David into his arms. “We’re going to be okay,” he promises.

David’s response is lost against Patrick’s shirt, his head buried in his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“What was that, mumbles?” Patrick attempts to tease his boyfriend, but it falls flat.

David pulls away, moving out of Patrick’s arms to sit on their bed. “I said we’re fucked Patrick. You know she’s putting us up, right?”

Patrick sighs, nodding as he sits down next to David. “But there’s always the veto.”

“What if she wins?” David falls back onto the pillows.

Patrick lays down on his side, facing David. “Let’s not worry about that until the competition.”

“How can we not worry about it?”

“Because everything we talked about before still stands,” Patrick says, reminding David about their conversation when he went up as Ted’s pawn.

“I know the end of our game doesn’t mean the end of our relationship,” David says, lacking enough confidence to assure Patrick he really believed it. “But that doesn’t mean I want it to happen now.”

“Neither do I,” Patrick replies, making the quick decision to leave that conversation for another time when David’s in a better place to hear it. “Ronnie’s probably going to show off her room soon. We should make an appearance.”

“Can we have a few more minutes?” David asks, his voice soft.

Patrick moves, closing the small distance between them and wraps an arm around David. He’s pretty sure there are few things he’d deny David, and laying in each other’s arms is definitely not one of them. “Of course. We can stay here as long as you’d like.”

As David turns on his side, wrapping his arms around Patrick and tangling their legs together, Patrick finds himself desperate for the moment to never end.

**DAY 65**

Nominations are today and David _knows_ he and Patrick will be nominated. He knows for sure Patrick will be because Ronnie hates him for some unknown reason but he’s assuming he will be sitting next to him because they’re together. David wants to hide in bed all day but he knows he can’t do that. He needs to talk to Ronnie and see if he can convince her to put Ray on the block so at least two of them aren’t up against each other.

After grabbing the offered cup of coffee from Patrick, he heads outside and finds her sitting outside on the sofa, sipping on her own coffee. He sits with her in silence for a few moments.

“Congratulations again on your win last night,” he starts with.

“Thanks,” she says simply, eyeing him over her mug.

“Have you decided on your nominations yet?” he asks straight forward, he and Ronnie never had a beat around the bush type of friendship so why start now?

“Pretty much,” she says. 

David puts his mug on the coffee table and turns to face Ronnie. “We’ve always been able to tell each other exactly what’s on our mind, right?” he asks her and she nods. “So I’m going to tell you what’s on my mind. I have a feeling you're going to nominate me and Patrick. You don’t have to tell me if you are or not but I wanted to tell you why that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

Ronnie raises her eyebrow. “Go ahead.”

“Yes, I have nominated you before and you could easily use that to put me up _but_ you were never my target,” David lies. “You knew I wanted Rachel out. The whole house knew that. We’ve always had such a good relationship - I consider you a friend in this house so I don’t know what good it would do for you to get me out especially this far in the game. I can protect you and get you to the end of this game. Ray on the other hand… he’s very sketchy to me. He listens in on people's conversations, he doesn’t have any alliance but is friends with everyone. If Ray stays this week, he can easily make it to final 3 and if he makes it to the end, it doesn’t matter who he sits next to because he will win. He hasn’t made any waves, he’s always nice to everyone, he won the double HoH which is a very important one to win. Do you really want to go to the end against him? As good as a player you are, you will not win against Ray.”

Ronnie nods, listening. She knows this. Of course, she knows this. “You’ve made very valid points,” she tells him. She’s been considering her nominations since last night but she knows that she can’t get rid of Ray because then she’s really fucked next week when she can’t play in the HoH. “If I were to nominate him this week and he goes… can you guarantee that I won’t be nominated next week at all?”

“I can guarantee it by me. If I win HoH, I won’t nominate you or use you as a renom should someone come down. I can only speak for myself and that I can promise you,” he tells her, lying. He has no intention of keeping her safe next week.

Ronnie nods. “I’ll think about it,” she tells him.

“That’s all I ask, thank you,” he says with a forced smile. 

He wishes he could have also put his neck on the line for Patrick but that would just prove that they are a duo. He also knows that even if she does nominate Ray, one of them would go up and it’s most likely going to be Patrick regardless if David tried to convince her not to nominate him.

*

Inside, David finds Patrick sitting upstairs playing chess with Ted. “Hey,” he greets them, sitting on the sofa, cross legged, elbows on his legs and his head in his hands.

“You okay?” Patrick asks him when he sees how defeated his boyfriend looks.

David sighs. “I spoke to Ronnie,” he tells them. “Tried telling her why she needs to nominate Ray.”

“And?”

“She said I gave her a lot to think about…”

“That’s good. Right?” Ted asks.

David looks at Ted incredulously. “People say that just to get you to fuck off. I’m sure she knows Ray is a threat if he makes it to the end but she can’t play HoH next week, she wouldn’t nominate the one person who is guaranteed not to nominate her. Ugh,” he groans.

Patrick reaches out, taking his hand and squeezing it. “It’ll be okay, we’ll figure it out,” he tries to reassure him but it really doesn’t look good for them this week.

David pouts. “I don’t know how you can be so optimistic,” he says.

“I have to be,” he says with a shrug. He wants to add that he has to be because the thought of them being separated could bring him to tears but Ted is still here with them so he doesn’t.

“Yeah, we’ll figure something out David,” Ted chimes in. “As long as the three of us make it through this week, it’ll be a good thing. If two of us are up, hopefully the third can win veto and save one of the other two.”

“Hopefully…” David trails off with a sad smile. He feels horrible that Ted is doing what he can to ease his mind when all he cares about is keeping him, Patrick, and Stevie safe. He’d love it if all four of them could have been safe but that’s not the hand they were dealt this week.

David watches them finish their chess match then Ted excuses himself, heading downstairs. Patrick moves to sit next to David on the sofa. “Are you going to speak to her before noms?” 

Patrick shrugs, making a face. “What for? I’m definitely her target.”

“It couldn’t hurt to talk to her though,” David tells him. “Remember when Rachel didn’t even come to talk to me.”

Patrick chuckles. “You were happy about that,” he reminds him.

David smirks. “Okay bad example. I still think you should talk to her,” he says, poking his leg with his finger.

Patrick eyes him and asks with a knowing smile, “Are you feeling guilty or something because you only tried to save yourself from being nominated?” David’s eyes widen and Patrick laughs. “David, it’s okay. We knew I’d go up regardless. I _want_ you to try and save yourself. You don’t deserve to be nominated.”

David groans. “I know, I just don’t want you to be nominated either. Being up together would fucking suck,” he says, leaning his head against Patrick’s shoulder for a quick second before lifting his head back up.

Patrick looks him in the eye and says, “We’ll get through this. I love you.”

David smiles softly. “I love you.”

*

It’s time for the nomination ceremony so the five houseguests head to the kitchen and all sit at the table next to each other. David sits between Patrick and Stevie and is holding Patrick’s hand under the table. He knows what’s coming but wants to be optimistic like Patrick and have _some_ hope that maybe, just _maybe_ , only one of them will be nominated. 

Ronnie walks into the kitchen with the nomination key box and sets it down on the table. She says, “This is the nomination ceremony. As Head of Household, it is my responsibility to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will turn both keys and the faces of the nominees will appear on the memory wall. The first person I have nominated is… Patrick.” His beautiful picture appears on the memory wall as he squeezes his hand. David turns his head to look at him and Patrick winks at him. Ronnie continues, “The next person I have nominated is… David.”

His face appears on the wall below Patrick’s. David feels his heart fall into his gut as Patrick’s thumb rubs soothingly across his hand.

“With only five people to choose from this wasn’t an easy decision. The main reason you are both up is because you are an obvious duo, and at this stage in the game I would be a fool not to try and split you up. I think you are both such great competitors and could win this whole thing. I wish you luck in the veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned,” Ronnie tells them before grabbing the nomination key box and heading back to the storage room to deposit it.

The five of them all stand and move to hug each other as they offer their sympathies to David and Patrick for being nominated.

*

David and Patrick wait until Ronnie leaves to put away the nomination key box before making their own exit. Like the day before, they make their way to their bedroom—David leading Patrick this time—and settle on the bed facing each other, limbs tangled as they hold each other tightly.

“It’s my fault.”

“What? David, no.” Patrick moves his hand from David’s back to his chin, tilting it to make sure David is making eye contact for his next sentence. “This is absolutely not your fault.”

“You heard her,” David protests. “She nominated us because we’re an _obvious duo_. I was the one who had to open my big mouth to Rachel about us.”

“Okay, first of all,” Patrick says, rubbing his thumb across David’s lower lip. “Do not insult this mouth. I love your mouth.” He kisses David gently to prove his point, deepening the kiss to make sure there’s no doubt.

“I’m being serious,” David says when they break apart.

“So am I,” Patrick counters. “We’re an obvious duo because no matter how hard we try, there’s no way we can hide how happy we make each other. You only confirmed what everyone already suspected. And I wouldn’t trade these past weeks for anything.”

“Me neither.”

“Good.” Patrick kisses him again. “Besides, we’ve won a lot between us. Of course we were going to have a target on our backs for that.”

“I know…” David trails off. “It’s just, maybe if I hadn’t said anything and we were still sneaking around, Stevie and I would’ve been the obvious duo instead of us.”

Patrick raises an eyebrow at David’s hypothetical scenario. “You wouldn’t want to be in this position with Stevie either.”

Frowning, David groans. “Fine, you’re right. I hate thinking that this is my fault, though.”

“You don’t have to think that. Because it’s not your fault,” Patrick counters. Before David can respond, he quickly adds, “Easier said than done, I know.”

David plays with the hem of Patrick’s shirt as he contemplates the best way to respond. “How do you do that?” he asks finally.

“Do what?”

“Always know what I’m thinking?”

“I don’t think it’s possible to always know what’s going on inside that brilliant mind of yours, David,” Patrick says instead of answering.

David doesn’t let him get away with it, though, asking him the question again.

“I don’t know.” Patrick shrugs apologetically. “I just know you.”

“No one else knows me like you do,” David says quietly. “I think that’s partly my fault. I’ve never let anyone in the way I’ve let you in.”

“Thank you for letting me in.” Patrick leaves a trail of kisses across David’s jawline leading to his mouth. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Thank you for being someone I can trust.”

Awed by David’s earnest statement, Patrick pulls him in as close as possible. “I love you so much,” he says.

“I love you, too.”

They lay like that for a while, comforted by the presence of the other. But Patrick can’t get yesterday’s conversation after Ronnie’s HoH win out of his head. “I think we have to talk about what happens if one of us is evicted.”

David closes his eyes. “Do we have to?”

“Yeah, baby, we do.”

David’s eyes snap open at the pet name. “That wasn’t playing fair.”

“Sorry.” The corner of Patrick’s lip curls upwards, betraying him. He starts playing with the hair at the base of David’s head, chuckling when David leans back into his touch.

“I thought you wanted to wait until the veto ceremony?” David asks, echoing the conversation Patrick keeps replaying.

“Not exactly. I said we shouldn’t worry about the veto until the competition. But we should talk about us getting separated, whenever that might happen.”

David eyes him suspiciously. “That sounds like the same thing.”

“We need to talk about it, David, because I need you to believe me when I say that the end of the game isn’t the end of us.” Patrick’s heart sinks as he watches David’s emotions play out on his face.

“I believe you mean that now,” David says, pulling out of Patrick’s arms to sit up.

Patrick follows, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“You’re too good!” David groans at his outburst. “Too good for me,” he says calmer. “And you’re going to realize it sooner or later.”

“You’re the smartest one in this house,” Patrick says, holding out a finger. “You’re playing this game incredibly,” he says, adding another finger. He keeps listing David’s qualities, raising a finger for each one. “You came up with an amazing business plan. You’re the most gorgeous person I’ve ever met. You–”

“–Okay, point made,” David says, cutting him off. He tries to push Patrick’s hand down, but Patrick takes advantage of the proximity and intertwines their fingers. “I believe you, I do. I’m just afraid.”

“I get that. I’m afraid, too,” Patrick replies. “You could realize one day that _you’re_ the one too good for me.”

“What? No,” David protests. “You’re the nicest person I’ve ever met, and you’re unfairly hot. You’re the best listener, and…” He trails off when he sees Patrick’s smile. “What? Oh,” he says, realization hitting. “Okay, point made again.”

“I’m really looking forward to the future we’ve started planning.”

“We need to win so we can afford to open our store,” David reminds him.

“We’ll find a way no matter what,” Patrick says confidently. “Besides, who says we won’t win? We’re not going anywhere without a fight. Right?”

“Absolutely.” David pulls him in for a kiss, moving them both to lay down as he deepens the kiss. “Are we done talking now?”

“We are if we can keep doing this,” Patrick says, kissing David’s neck, lightly nipping the spot with his teeth before kissing it again.

David angles his head away, giving Patrick better access to his neck. “We can definitely keep doing this. How does forever sound?”

Patrick’s sure David doesn’t even realize the implication of what he said, but it doesn’t stop him from saying, “I love the sound of that.”

*****

Stevie keeps to herself in the room by the bathroom after the nomination ceremony. Ronnie’s nominations weren’t a surprise, but it’s still a reality check to know that she’s very close to losing one of her alliance members this week. If it comes down to it, she’s going to keep David, of course, but she doesn’t want to see Patrick go either.

“Hey, Stevie,” Ted says, sticking his head into the room. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“What’s up?” Stevie asks cautiously. 

She likes Ted, but as far as she’s concerned, the best case scenario this week is him going home. If David or Patrick win the veto, she and Ted are probably the only options for a replacement nominee that Ronnie would consider. She can’t afford to alienate him, though. If she does end up on the block against David or Patrick, she’ll need both Ted and Ray’s votes to stay. There’s no way she’d have Patrick’s vote against David, and even though she has a final two with David, she’s not sure he’d vote Patrick out over her.

“I thought maybe we could play a little pool?” Ted asks hopefully. When she doesn’t answer right away, he adds, “Ronnie is in her room and Ray is playing chess by himself. You don’t have to hide in here.”

“I’m not hiding,” she mutters, denying the truth.

“Well, I’d like to avoid them right now,” Ted replies smoothly. “And I figure the best way is to be occupied with someone else.”

“I guess I can help you out.”

“You’re a great _fur-riend_!” Ted beams at her, leading the way outside.

Stevie’s relieved to see that Ted was right; Ronnie and Ray are nowhere to be found. Ted sets up the balls, then lets Stevie break. A few turns pass without either saying anything before Ted breaks the silence.

“David and Patrick haven’t come out of the room since the nomination ceremony,” Ted says after taking his turn, landing one of Stevie’s balls.

Stevie snorts. “And they probably won’t until the veto ceremony. We’re probably not going to get any sleep this week.” She lines up her shot and sinks the ball.

“About that…” Ted trails off. “I know I would’ve liked alone time with Alexis before she left.”

Ted’s sincerity isn’t enough to keep alarm bells from going off in Stevie’s mind. Still leaning over the pool table for her next shot, she straightens and looks Ted in the eyes. “You seem pretty sure one of them is going home. Do you know something?” she questions him. If he has some sort of deal with Ronnie and Ray...

He holds up a hand–the one not holding his cue stick–in defense. “The only thing I’m _paw-sitive_ of is that at least one of them will definitely still be on the block on eviction night. It’s a _ruff_ position to be in.”

Stevie stares him down for another moment before accepting his reasoning bookended in bad dog puns. She lines up her next shot, and when she misses, she looks at Ted expectantly. He doesn’t move, causing her to sigh. She should’ve known he wanted to talk game. 

“What is it?” she asks him, afraid of what he’s about to propose.

“I think we should stay in the other bedroom this week. Let them have the room to themselves.”

 _Oh. Not what she was expecting. At all._ It’s the right thing to do for her friends, she knows. She doesn’t want Ray as a roommate for the week, but if it means giving them time alone. “That’s a good idea,” she tells him. “You’re a good person, Ted.”

Ted looks at her strangely, as if he’s not sure why she felt the need to point that out. “So are you, Stevie.”

To Stevie’s relief, she doesn’t have to respond to his compliment because the door to the backyard opens, David and Patrick slowly making their way to the pool table. Both look devastated, but less so than at the conclusion of the nomination ceremony. Whatever they talked about must have helped somewhat.

“Ted’s about to be your favorite person,” she tells them once they’re in front of her.

“Wha- huh?” David asks, looking between her and Ted.

“It’s nothing,” Ted shrugs off the comment. “I just suggested to Stevie that we could stay in the other room this week and give you guys some space in case…” His brain seems to catch up with his mouth, and he winces, leaving the sentence hanging. Not that he needs to finish it. It’s the thought on everyone’s mind.

“Really?” David perks up at the prospect of a week of privacy.

“At least until I can’t stand Ray any longer,” Stevie replies, but the grin Patrick flashes her lets her know her joke doesn’t hide her true feelings.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” David repeats the litany of thanks as he hugs Stevie before moving to Ted.

“Softie,” Patrick teases, following David’s lead. 

“Shut up.” Stevie folds her arms. “Can Ted and I finish our game now?”

“Can we play partners next game?” David asks.

“You want to play pool instead of using the empty bedroom we just gifted you with?”

“We will definitely be taking advantage of it later. Thank you, very much.” David shrugs, looking away. “I just thought that with one of the four of leaving at the end of the week, we shouldn’t waste time we can spend together.”

“Fine, but you two better keep your heart eyes at a minimum while you’re waiting for us to finish.”

“Aw, Stevie. We all know you’re a sof–” Patrick begins.

“Don’t even.” Stevie waits until her next turn to let her walls down, her hair falling as she leans over the pool table, hiding her smile.

*****

David and Patrick are just finishing up their nighttime routines when Stevie enters the bathroom that night. 

“Ted said he told Ray about the new sleeping arrangements,” she tells them, walking up to the sinks and pushing David out of her way. She smirks as Patrick makes room for David at his sink. “Apparently he’s very excited. You two better make the most of this.”

“Oh we will.” David shimmies excitedly.

Patrick blushes. “Thanks again, Stevie.”

“Told you it was Ted’s idea,” she replies around a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Ew, incorrect,” David mutters. Zipping up his product bag, he flashes her a smile. “Okay, we’re done here. Best wishes.”

“Warmest regards,” she calls after them. She finishes up as quickly as she can, eager to go to sleep and end the day.

“Another new roomie!” Ray greets Stevie as she enters the bedroom. “You’ll enjoy it here. As you can see, it's light and breezy. And by breezy, I mean there's a slight but steady draft.”

“Okay…” Stevie scans the room, disappointed to see that Ray’s bed is in the middle of the room. There’s no hiding away from him. She chooses a bed at random, slipping in between the sheets and turning her back to Ray. “Good night.”

Ray continues talking, not realizing her attempt to stop him. “I was worried with Twyla gone and Ronnie upstairs, I wouldn’t be able to keep practicing my podcast.”

“Your podcast?” Stevie asks, turning to face him, unable to stop her curiosity.

Ray nods. “I’ve been thinking about starting one. What are your thoughts?”

“On podcasts?” Ted asks from the bed on the other side of Ray. “They’re good. I like them.”

“No, about me starting one,” Ray corrects.

“What would it be about?” Stevie asks.

“I haven’t thought that out yet.” Ray shrugs. “Whatever’s on my mind, I guess.”

“Well, tomorrow’s a big day. We’ll all be playing veto,” Stevie says, hoping to hint to Ray that they should go to sleep.

Instead he takes it as a stepping stone to another conversation topic. “It’s such a shame David and Patrick are nominated. I hate to see anyone go, but they’re really nice. Especially Patrick, he’s been a great friend to me.”

Stevie files that fact away for later. It’s not a big surprise considering he didn’t take the opportunity to nominate Patrick and David together during his HoH reign, but it’s still good to know when trying to figure out how the votes are going to fall.

Ted offers up the same sentiment, and Ray seems happy enough to keep the conversation going with just him, the topic changing yet again—this time to a Christmas tree farm Ray runs during the winter.

Stevie’s closing her eyes, content to let Ted keep Ray occupied—she’ll put a pillow over her head if she needs to drown out the sound of them talking—when it hits her. Ray could be a deciding vote this week. Ted’s gift to David and Patrick could potentially be a gift to the two of them, also, if one of them ends up on the block. And it’s a gift she’s not willing to turn her nose down. If it comes down to Ray deciding between her and David or her and Patrick, she needs to know she’s done everything to have Ray on her side. Even if it bores her in the meantime.

“So Ray, tell me more about your podcast ideas.”

*

Slipping into bed with Patrick in their own room sends tingles down David’s spine. “Having the room to ourselves makes up for the fact that we’re on the block together,” he tells him.

“Agreed,” Patrick says simply as he wraps David into his arms, pressing impossibly close to him. David smiles at him before Patrick leans in, kissing that perfect mouth of his. 

Patrick’s arm is wrapped around David’s body, moving slowly up his shirt, feeling the plains of his back. David runs his hand over Patrick’s chest and to his shoulder, up to his neck as he pulls him closer, deepening the kiss. He works his tongue in his mouth, teasing him. 

Patrick presses closer even though there’s no more space between them. His dick getting impossibly hard in his pajamas as it presses against David. David presses his into him too and he can feel his large length against him and it unleashes this heat inside of him, he moans deeply into his mouth.

David moves his lips across his jaw down to his neck, licking a stripe up his skin making Patrick moan lowly, his hand gripping onto his hip. “I want you so badly,” he whispers hotly into his ear before nipping on his earlobe gently.

Patrick pushes David back into the mattress, pressing into him. David gasps lightly, extremely turned on. Patrick pulls the covers above them as he gets in between David’s legs, pressing his hard cock against his through their thin pants. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you,” Patrick tells him in his ear before kissing that spot on his neck that drives David wild.

“We could–” David starts to say but when Patrick pulls back he adds, “I mean, we don’t have to. Forget I said anything.”

Patrick kisses him softly before saying, “It’s not that I don’t. I wish I could see your face right now. It’s just...you know I’ve never been with a guy before so I don’t think that the first time–”

“Oh my God,” David says, his hands coming up to cover his eyes even though they are enclosed in darkness. “I’m sorry. I didn’t - ugh, I’m so stupid.”

“Hey, no no, none of that,” Patrick says, pulling David’s hands from his face and kissing him softly. “I _really_ want to. Once we’re out of here and what did you call them aren’t watching?”

“Live feeders,” David supplies softly.

Partick chuckles, kissing him again softly. “In the meantime though… can we get back to what we were doing because it was _really_ good…” he moves his lips back to David’s neck, kissing him in that same spot until he feels David’s hands touch him gently on his sides before slipping under his shirt and up his back, pulling him closer against him.

Patrick smiles against his neck as he presses his entire body to David’s, feeling them get back into it as their dicks respond to the proximity of each other. He grazes his lips across David’s jaw back up to his lips, kissing him deeply. 

David bites Patrick’s bottom lip, pulling back slightly. He whispers, “Can I–” he pauses and Patrick feels David’s right hand move from his back to his stomach and down, grabbing his dick through his pants. 

“ _Umphh_ ,” Patrick lets out a breath. “Yes, yeah.”

“I want you in my mouth,” David says hotly into his ear where Patrick let his head fall against his. 

His head snaps up and he can’t help but let out a moan as David is still stroking him through his pants. “Ye-yes yeah,” he stutters out.

David smirks, loving the effect he has on Patrick. He lets go of him and Patrick moves to lay back down on the mattress. David adjusts the blanket over them as he settles between his legs.

He kisses Patrick softly before deepening the kiss, pressing his body into his. Patrick moans into the kiss, his hands instantly coming up to grip onto his hips. Patrick loves having David on top of him, to feel the weight of him on him completely.

David moves down his body, both of them careful the blankets stay covering them completely. Patrick lifts his hips slightly to help David free his hard, aching cock. Once it’s free, David takes him into his mouth making Patrick moan and run his fingers through David’s hair. 

David moans around his cock, sending vibrations through Patrick. He twirls his tongue around his length, focusing on the head before lowering his mouth further down, taking him completely in his mouth. 

“ _David_ -” Patrick chokes out a moan, his grip on his hair tightening and David moans, wishing he can take him further than he already is. He takes Patrick’s balls into his hand, gently massaging them as he continues to suck his length. 

Patrick thrusts up lightly into his mouth and David moans. “Sorry,” he says.

David pulls off to say, “Don’t be, that was so hot, fuck my mouth, Patrick.”

“ _Ff- David_ ,” Patrick moans before David swallows him down again. 

Patrick thrusts up into the tight, wet, hot heat of David’s mouth, his grip on his hair there again. David moans around him, wanting everything Patrick will give him.

It’s not long before Patrick’s coming hard down David’s throat. He lets go of his hair and after David gently tucks him back into his pajamas, crawls back up his body. Patrick pulls him to him, kissing him fully on the lips, slipping his tongue inside and tasting himself on David’s tongue. He slips his hand into David’s pajamas and takes his hard, leaking cock into his hand. David pulls his pants slightly down so that Parick can stroke him without it getting messy. It doesn’t take much for David to come hard in Patrick’s hand. Patrick licks it all up, wanting to taste him. He never really thought about what it would taste like but being with David and wanting him _so badly_ , it made him curious and now that he’s tasted him, he can’t get enough. He can’t wait until they are out of the spotlight and can be with each other fully, no holds barred. 

They get comfortable— Patrick laying on his back with David’s head on his chest. David’s hand moves in idle patterns across Patrick’s chest. Patrick let's out a soft breath, feeling so happy.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” David says softly, his fingers never stopping.

“Us when we get out of here,” Patrick tells him.

David smiles, he moves his head up so he can kiss the bottom of Patrick’s jaw. Patrick looks down and kisses him softly on the lips. 

“Tell me about it,” he says softly after he puts his head back on Patrick’s chest.

“Okay, David.”

David listens, picturing all that Patrick tells him — them opening their store, living together wherever they chose to be, being together _physically_ for the first time, walking hand in hand from the store to their favorite restaurant after work. It all sounds so perfect. David wishes for it to come true before he falls asleep in Patrick’s arms.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win the Power of Veto? And will it be used to save the showmance - David and Patrick - from being split up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!!  
> We hope you're all doing well and have some exciting (but safe) plans for NYE tomorrow. Thank you so much for giving this fic so much love and support, it's truly been such a blessing this year. We love you all very much and we wish you a very happy new years!  
> Hope you like this chapter, see you in 2021 ;)

**DAY 66**

Patrick wakes up the morning of the veto competition, expecting to feel David pressed against him. He reaches out a hand for him, but only feeling the bedsheets, he opens his eyes. “David?” he questions him, surprised to see him sitting on the next bed over, knees tucked against his chest. “What are you doing over there?”

David doesn’t answer him, and Patrick starts to worry that something happened in the middle of the night, something that caused his boyfriend to not want to share a bed with him anymore. He’s not sure what it could be but whatever it is has David non-responsive and physically distancing himself. Patrick sits up and repeats the question, the panic evident in his voice this time.

“Wha-what?” David snaps to attention.

“I asked what you’re doing over there,” Patrick answers, willing himself to calm down. “You’re up early. And in a different bed.”

“I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to wake you.”

Patrick pats the spot next to him. “Well, I’m awake now.”

David makes his way to their bed, quickly getting comfortable in the space Patrick made for him.

“Want to talk about it?” Patrick asks as he wraps an arm around David and kisses his forehead.

David cuddles in closer to his boyfriend. “I can’t stop thinking about the veto.”

_Of course it’s that_ , Patrick thinks. He stayed up long after David fell asleep last night, thinking about all of the possible outcomes. Patrick’s not ready to say goodbye to David, no matter how temporary it may be. Someone in their alliance needs to win this competition. Because they’re now in the final six, everyone will be playing today. The _best_ case scenario would be for Stevie to win the PoV. If she wins, she can use it and she won’t be a replacement nomination. That would mean Ted going up, but if it means keeping both of them safe—David and Patrick— _and_ Stevie safe, then they can lose Ted. 

Not like David or Patrick will ever tell him that. If he wins it, they need him to use it on one of them. As long as they both are safe, then this week will be a win for them. 

The _worst_ case scenario is Ronnie winning—or even Ray. Neither of them will use it and then David and Patrick will for sure be getting split up. 

“Stevie should win,” David says, confirming Patrick’s thoughts. “She takes one of us off–”

“–You,” Patrick interrupts. “She takes you off.” There’s no use pretending like they don’t both know which one of them Stevie would save.

“Okay, she takes me off,” David relents. “And she’s exempt. So either Ronnie has a moment of insanity—to our benefit—and we’re able to convince her to nominate Ray or she puts up Ted, who Stevie and I vote to evict.”

“We’re not throwing the competition to Stevie, though,” Patrick is quick to add. 

“It’s the best outcome for our alliance.” David avoids confirming that he won’t throw the competition.

“David, look at me.” Patrick waits until he makes eye contact. “You need to be selfish. Stop thinking about what’s best for the alliance. Think about what’s best for you.”

“What’s best for me is for you and Stevie to stay in this house.”

“What’s best for you is for _you_ to stay in the house,” Patrick corrects him. “Just like when you were nominated against Stevie, you need to play for that veto as hard as you can. There’s a chance that if you were to throw it to Stevie, she could still lose. And if Ronnie wins, we’re both screwed.”

“Okay, but you can’t throw it so that I’ll win either!” David counters. “And if you win, you have to take yourself off. There will be none of that grand gesture using the veto on the other person crap. That always makes me roll my eyes.”

Patrick grins, happy to hear David sounding more like himself again. “Okay, I won’t. As long as one of us comes off, we’re good. We’ll have the votes.”

“And if one of us doesn’t?” David questions. “I don’t want to campaign against you. I won’t.”

“You won’t have to,” Patrick promises him. “You know you’ve got Stevie and Ted’s votes. But before we even know if that’s something we have to worry about, we have to focus on winning the veto. So how about we get a little more rest?”

“I don’t think I can,” David says, but his eyes are already fluttering thanks to the comfort Patrick’s hand, rubbing his back gently provides.

“Mhm,” Patrick murmurs. “Love you,” he whispers as David starts to fall asleep. 

*

David doesn’t want to go to jury. Coming into this house he didn’t plan on ever seeing the inside of the jury house. He plans on sitting in those final two chairs, telling the jury why they should crown him the winner. Every week that goes by he adds more to what he’ll say in his speech. That’ll all be thrown out the window if he leaves this week.

The final six are instructed to head to the yard for the Power of Veto competition. They walk outside and see six railings with a series of ropes tied together attached to the railing. Since there is no host, Ronnie tells them about the competition, “This competition is called ‘Feeling Knotty’ and here’s how it works - it’s simple, untie a series of ropes. The first person to successfully untie their rope and hit their buzzer will be the winner of the Power of Veto and earn safety for the week. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes.”

Ronnie gets into position as do the other five players left. Each of them attach their ropes to their waists. The rope is attached to them on one end and on the other to the railing. The rope is twisted up into different knots and it’s up to them to untie those knots to get close enough to their buzzer to hit it and win the PoV. 

A buzzer sounds letting them know the competition has begun. David tries not to go too fast since he doesn’t know which knot unties what or what knot will fuck him up more. He goes slow, going to the end of his rope where it’s attached to the railing to start with the knots there.

Patrick does the opposite - he starts with the knots closest to him, hoping this will be the best route for him to get all the knots untied.

Each player has their own strategy and only time will tell who’s will be the victorious one.

*

Stevie hates this competition. She has no idea what the hell she’s doing but she’s not giving up. If she doesn’t win this she can easily be the replacement nominee. David and Patrick are going to try hard to secure their own safety but she knows they are hoping she wins. If she wins then she can remove David from the block and the two of them have the votes to keep Patrick. It’s a lot of pressure and this competition is not as easy as it seems. She unties one knot, stepping through it and feels like she created another. She looks around and sees how far ahead Ronnie is. She doesn’t seem to be too far behind though. Ray looks completely lost - he might have actually made more knots in his rope. David’s pretty far ahead too. Ted and Patrick are around where Stevie seems to be. She tries to focus on her own progress, getting back to her rope. 

David knows that if he looks up to see how everyone else he’s doing it’ll stress him out even more than he is. There’s already so much pressure on one of them to win. He can’t worry about where he is compared to everyone else. All he can do is focus on his rope and untying these damn knots - seriously who put all these knots together? It’s like a fucking rubixcube. 

*

Ronnie’s so close she can feel it - she can feel the win and she wants it. She wants to win so badly and keep her nominations the same. She knows she’s the closest, she took a quick look and noticed David doing well but not close to catch up to her unless she fucked up. She didn’t. She unties the closest knot to the railing, steps through it and tests to see if she’s close enough to her buzzer now. She tried before but she was _just_ out of reach. She runs to her buzzer and hits it. It rings, letting her know that she’s won.

“YES!” she shouts, punching the air in victory. She removes the rope from her waist and goes to grab the PoV necklace, putting it around her own neck.

“Congratulations, Ronnie!” Ray tells her with a bright smile, going to her and hugging her.

“Yeah, good job,” Ted tells her with a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. 

David feels like crying and he hates it. He does _not_ want to be that player who cries because they lost a competition. 

They’re let back into the house and finally David tells Ronnie, “Congratulations,” with a tight smile. 

“Thanks,” she says before he walks past her and to his bedroom. 

*

David just wants to throw himself into bed and pull the covers above him but he doesn’t. He paces the room and tries to figure out a way for Ronnie to change direction. He just needs to find a way to convince her that him and Patrick are _not_ a threat to her and her game.

The door slides open and he sees Patrick walk in with a soft smile. “Don’t give me that face,” he tells him, pointing at him.

Patrick chuckles. “What face?” he asks, coming up to David and wrapping his arms around his waist.

David places his arms over Patrick’s shoulders, unable to resist. “That _everything will be okay_ face,” he tells him.

Patrick smiles at him fondly. “I love that you can tell which face means what,” he says, getting David to smile softly. He leans forward, pressing his lips to his in a sweet kiss. 

David pulls back and says, “We need to come up with a plan to get her to use the veto on me. It’ll be easier to convince her to save me over you but with me off the block it gives us a chance to _both_ stay this week.”

“What do you suggest?” Patrick asks him.

David frowns. “That’s why I said we need to come up with a plan, Patrick,” he says.

“Oh yes, of course,” Patrick says before leaning in and kissing him again.

“If you think you can distract me with kisses then you’re -” David says against his lips before Patrick deepens the kiss, making David forget everything other than getting Patrick on him.

*

Later that night, with the other three houseguests off to bed, David, Patrick, and Stevie sit outside on the sofa to figure out the best way to convince Ronnie to use the veto. 

“The only option is to obviously get her to put Ray up in my place,” David tells them. “Convincing her of that will not be easy.”

“You think she’d even consider it?” Stevie asks, skeptical. She obviously wants Ronnie to use it to save David but there’s a _very_ strong possibility that _she_ would be the replacement nominee.

“It’s worth a shot,” Patrick says. 

Stevie worries her bottom lip between her teeth and David squeezes her arm. “Hey, you won’t be the replacement. I’ll throw Ted under the bus if the Ray option doesn’t work. I wouldn’t ever mention you to her as a replacement,” he tries to reassure her.

“Actually…” Patrick says and they both look at him. “Mentioning Ted as a possibility could be an easier move than Ray. Obviously it’s a shitty one but he’s a strong competitor so if she does get him out it’s still an impressive move if that’s what she’s going for.”

“I’m going to pitch Ray first but if that doesn’t work there is Ted,” David agrees. He groans. “I just feel bad.”

“It’s his birthday tomorrow too,” Stevie says.

David gives her a look, “Thanks so much for that.”

She shrugs. “Just commenting,” she says, pulling her legs up to her chest, putting her chin on her knees.

“That’s not a bad idea though,” David realizes.

“What isn’t?” Patrick asks him.

“We got booze on my birthday so I’m sure we’ll get some tomorrow. I can talk to Ronnie once she’s all liquored up,” he tells him. 

Patrick nods, “That’s true. She might be more open to listening to why Ray should go up.”

“Okay so what are you going to say?” Stevie asks.

**DAY 67**

Ted wakes up and can’t help but feel sad. Sure, it’s his birthday and he should be _happy_ but he just can’t help but wish that Alexis was here to be with him on his birthday. He knew that if he was lucky - by making it far in the game - he would be spending his birthday here in the Big Brother house. He also thought Alexis would make it far so the fact that he’s waking up alone on his birthday is a huge bummer.

Everyone wishes him a happy birthday when he does finally make it to the kitchen to join them, dressed and ready for the day. Ray made waffles so they all eat breakfast together outside on the sofa, having their tea or coffee. 

The day goes by pretty quickly since every moment he finds himself alone, someone comes to him to ask him to do something like play chess or pool, to work out or to chill in the pool. He appreciates it and says yes to it all because it beats sitting by himself wishing Alexis was here.

*

David’s called to the diary room where he’s informed that there is alcohol, pizza, and a cake for Ted’s birthday in the storage room. He thanks them before leaving the diary room. He sees that Ted is still outside so he gets Patrick’s help to bring everything out to the kitchen, laying out the pizza boxes on the table, putting the booze on the kitchen island, and putting the cake in the fridge. He calls everyone inside where they all either grab a beer or a glass of wine and they toast to Ted.

“I know there’s one person not here that you wish was but we hope you had a great Big Brother birthday. To Ted!” David says. They all cheers to Ted, and say, “Happy birthday.”

The six of them sit at the table to eat their much appreciated pizza and drink their liquor - maybe a little too quickly. It’s been a while since they’ve had any booze, not since David’s birthday, and they go a little hard with it. 

They don’t have music so they find a way to entertain themselves - mainly by going outside and sitting on the sofa and playing ‘never have I ever’. David’s least favorite game because he drinks a lot which means he has to pee a lot. 

When David makes his way back to the rest of the house outside, he sits down in between Ted and Patrick. Ted wraps his arm around his shoulder and pulls him closer. “I really love you, man,” he says, his words a little slurred, a huge grin on his face.

David chuckles. “Well, thank you, Ted,” he says awkwardly. “I care about you too.”

Ted laughs before leaning closer and whispering - well, he thinks he’s whispering but he’s quite loud, “You know who I _really_ love?”

David smiles, this is too entertaining. “Alexis?” he asks.

“No, Alexis,” he says, shaking his head. The others chuckle as they watch a sappy drunken Ted try to hold a conversation.

“I-” 

Ted pulls back and frowns as he looks at David. “I miss her,” he tells him.

“I know you do,” David says.

“What do you think she’s doing right now?”

Patrick leans forward to look at Ted past David and says, “She’s probably having a drink and toasting to you right now with the girls.”

David smiles at him before turning back to look at Ted. “What Patrick said.”

“Yeah?” Ted asks hopefully.

“Definitely,” Stevie says with a nod from where she’s sitting on the ground across the table from them.

*

Patrick left to put Ted to bed, Stevie went inside to use the washroom, and Ray wanted to make a diary room entry so finally David finds himself alone with Ronnie. She’s at the point where she brought the last of their booze outside and the two of them are sharing the last bottle of red wine - well, they also poured another glass for Stevie who said she’d be right back, only having gone inside to give them some time alone for David to talk to her.

They’re sitting closer on the sofa, they clink their plastic cups together before taking a sip. Better now than never. “Can we talk a little game?” he asks her.

She turns to face him, smiling. “Of course,” she says, eyes taking longer to blink - she’s drunk, perfect.

“Obviously you know that I can’t not try to save myself from the block,” he says and she nods. “You did so well in the veto, I don’t know how you did that so quickly but anyway - I think it’d be a mistake for you to not use it on me.”

“Why’s that?” she asks, her words slurring together.

“I can keep you safe - definitely more so than Ray can,” he tells her point blank. “I’ve won more competitions. I have a higher chance of winning the next HoH than he does. I already promised you that if I win you wouldn’t be nominated or a replacement nom.”

“Mhm, you did,” she nods.

“We’re friends. I know Ray annoys you,” he says, making her laugh.

“That is true,” she says before taking another sip.

“Ray might take you to final two _but_ can he get you both there? No. I can though.”

Her eyes widen, as she raises an eyebrow. “You gonna take me to final two?” she asks skeptically.

“I do have closer allies, I won’t lie to you,” he tells her, though he does lie in the next sentence, “but realistically, I might not win against them. Not that I think I’d win against you.”

Ronnie laughs. “You would but that’s fine.”

“Every one of us has a strong argument to win but I cannot see a guaranteed win against them. Not even Ray,” he tells her. 

“Ray is very well liked even if he is annoying,” she says.

“He hasn’t rubbed anyone the wrong way, even Twyla who left on his HoH wouldn’t hold that against him. He’s literally not done anything wrong and if the jury is bitter, which they can end up being, he would win hands down if he makes it to final two. At this point, it’s a very strong possibility.”

“You’re not wrong, David,” she tells him, touching her glass to his before taking another sip.

The back door opens and Stevie and Patrick make their way back out, cutting their conversation, but Ronnie winks at him, which he’s taking to mean she’ll think about what he said. He really hopes this works.

**DAY 68**

Ronnie wakes up with a headache - way too much wine last night. Usually she can drink that much without any problem but because it’s been so long without any alcohol here, she’s lost her edge. She takes her time getting out of her comfy bed - seriously why didn’t she win HoH sooner? This bed is heaven. She takes a nice, long, hot shower before getting ready for the day. The PoV ceremony is today and she had planned to leave the nominations the same, however thoughts to last night pop into her mind. She remembers David trying to convince her to use the veto on him and honestly… he was very convincing. He made a lot of great points. Ray has only won one competition, David is definitely more likely to win and keep her safe. However, because he’s more likely to win, he could easily go back on what he promised and nominate her or try to backdoor her. David isn’t very vindictive though, not that she can tell. If she removes him from the block and nominates Ray, Ray would leave the house and David would get to spend another week with his boyfriend. That would make him happy so why would he go after her?

Ronnie has so much to think about before the PoV ceremony but first she needs coffee. She makes her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Patrick’s making breakfast and Ray is chatting his ear off from across the kitchen island. She tries to tune him out as best she can, nodding her hello as she moves around them to pour herself some coffee before heading outside. David, Ted, and Stevie are sitting on the sofa as she approaches, taking the free chair. She looks across at Ted and he looks worse than she feels. His hair is a mess, his eyes are bloodshot, and she’s pretty sure his t-shirt is inside out. Ronnie sips on her coffee as they all sit there in silence together, immediately feeling better as the liquid enters her system. Ted sips on his coffee too before deciding to put his sunglasses on and leaning back further into the sofa. 

“You doing okay, Ted?” she asks him.

He gives her a thumbs up making them all chuckle. Poor kid but that’s all signs that his birthday was a great success. 

*

That afternoon, Ronnie heads to the backdoor, slides it open and sticks her head out. She tells her five remaining housemates, “It’s time for the Power of Veto meeting.”

They all make their way to the living room where David and Patrick sit in the nomination chairs, and Ray, Stevie, and Ted sit on the two opposing sofas. Ronnie stands at the front of the room in front of the PoV box and the necklace around her neck.

“This is the Power of Veto meeting. As HoH, I nominated both of you for eviction. I’ve had some really insightful talks with you, David, however my decision still stands. I choose not to use the Power of Veto,” she tells them with finality, not even giving them a final chance to save themselves since her mind has already been made up. She takes the PoV necklace off and puts it into the box. “This veto meeting is adjourned,” she says before closing the box and heading to the storage room to deposit it.

“Wow,” David mutters to himself as he and Patrick stand. He hugs him tight, whispering into his ear, “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Patrick whispers back, rubbing his back before letting him go.

Ted hugs Patrick as Stevie hugs David, and the circle of hugs continue until David can manage to slip away to his bedroom. 

*

Even though Ted’s hangover is gone, he still feels terrible. He’s definitely relieved to not be on the block himself, but he’s not happy to see his remaining PRO-duction alliance members on the block. He can’t help but feel like he let down Alexis by not winning the veto and saving her brother. But he plans to keep David in the house with his vote, and Stevie will probably vote the same way.

He’s on his way to the storage room when he hears voices coming from the room off the bathroom. His first instinct is to back away, but he’s about to be in the final five. He needs whatever intel he can get. Besides, he can make out Ronnie and Ray’s voices. It’s a well-known fact by now that Ray will try to eavesdrop on whatever conversations he can, and if Ronnie’s choosing to have a conversation outside of the HoH room where she’s assured privacy, that’s on her. He moves closer, hoping to pick up something useful.

“You’re not going to get me to change my vote,” Ray says. “I’m voting David out.”

“It doesn’t matter how you vote,” Ronnie tells him. “David’s got the others’ votes.”

“Then what did you want to talk about?” 

“We need to be ready for next week,” she replies. “Once Patrick is gone, we’re going to have to watch out for David and Stevie—they’re going to be the new duo. As much as I can’t stand Patrick, it’d probably be better if we could keep him over David. If Patrick loses David, that’s his closest ally gone. But if David loses Patrick, he’s still got Stevie. Plus Ted as a back-up.”

_A back-up_? Ted knows David and Stevie are friends, but she’s not the one David’s in an alliance with. Unless… he was quick to bring her into the fold once Alexis was evicted. Could they have been working together all this time? If so, what Ronnie said is right. David has everyone’s loyalty, but where does that leave Ted?

Ted backs away, unsure of what to do with this information. Voting to evict David may mean betraying Alexis, but voting to keep him could mean betraying himself and his chance at winning the game.

*

David waits until Patrick is in the shower to slip outside. He settles down on the couch, pulling a blanket over his lap to ward off the slight chill of the night air. He doesn’t want to waste any time he and Patrick have left, but he needs some time alone with his thoughts. In three days, one of them is going to be walking out that door, and the next time they’ll see each other will be outside the confines of the game.

More than anything, he wants their shared dream to become a reality—to have more than stolen moments rushed under covers, to make good on all of their whispered promises, to stand inside the store they’ve built together. But if he wants any of that to happen, if he wants their relationship to survive and thrive outside of the house, he needs to tell Patrick the one thing he’s most worried could end them before they even have a chance to start a life together.

He starts to practice how he’ll say it, mouthing the words with no sound, too afraid to say them aloud quite yet. That’s how Patrick, wearing the heather blue t-shirt he knows David loves, finds him. David’s spent enough nights with his head on Patrick’s shoulder to have the feeling of the soft t-shirt against his cheek memorized. He knows Patrick chose the shirt for tonight because he’s grasping on to whatever he can do to try and comfort David. But the sweet-intentioned gesture is almost cruel when David’s unsure of whether or not he’ll be denied that comfort once he comes clean.

The neckline—still stretched from where David pulled on it last time to get better access to Patrick’s neck—mocks him, leaving the edge of the mark David left on him last night just visible. It wasn’t intentional, at least he doesn’t think so. But he can’t help be grateful for the moment of enthusiastic passion. At least he knows that Patrick will have a physical reminder of David—one to match the marks he has left behind on David’s heart and soul. The only difference is that those will never fade, no matter how much time passes.

Even in the short period they’ve known each other, Patrick has made more of an impact on him than anyone else in his life has before. He’s filled in cracks left behind by those who came before him—those who Patrick has helped him realize didn’t deserve him. He’s just not sure if he deserves Patrick.

“What’re you thinking about so hard?” Patrick asks, sitting down next to David. He tugs on the blanket gently. “And what will it take to get you to share this?”

“Here, you can have it,” David replies, bundling the blanket and pushing it towards his boyfriend. Fuck, how much longer will he be able to call Patrick that?

Patrick’s brows furrow in confusion. “What? David, no. I want to share it.” He moves closer to David, taking the blanket from him and smoothing it over both their laps. “I want to cuddle under a blanket with my boyfriend while we look at the stars.”

David tries to will away the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. He can’t cry for this. Patrick’s so sweet he might even pretend to forgive David just to keep him from crying. He can’t manipulate Patrick like that. David’s struggle doesn’t go unnoticed by Patrick, though. Of course it doesn’t. He’s attuned to David’s feelings in a way David never could’ve imagined possible. Before Patrick, the idea that anyone would even want to be that close to him was absurd. Yet Patrick, here in the Big Brother house of all places, not only wanted to know David, but has actually become _more_ interested the more he learns.

“David?” Patrick puts his hand on David’s knee, rubbing back-and-forth. “I’m going to miss you so damn much. But the weeks will fly by. And the next time we see each other, whether it’s on finale night with confetti falling to celebrate your win or in the jury house, I’m going to be right by your side telling you how proud I am of you.” He squeezes David’s knee, grinning. “And giving you the biggest ‘I missed you’ kiss.”

Holding back a sob, David launches himself at Patrick. He can’t let their last kiss be their _last kiss_. Brushing his lips against Patrick’s, he moves one hand to cradle Patrick’s cheek and the other to the nape of his neck, where his hair is starting to curl as it dries from his shower.

Watching Patrick’s hair grow out this summer and start to curl has been a revelation. David’s heart breaks at the thought of never seeing it fully grown out, never knowing what it feels like to run his hands through it, never discovering what noises Patrick will make if he tugs on it in bed. As painful as it can be to think of before Patrick—the time before he knew what it feels like to love and be loved, when he only knew what it felt like to be used—David knows the real heartbreak is after Patrick—when he’ll have to go on knowing what he had and lost.

Patrick deepens the kiss, his tongue seeking entry into David’s mouth. David accepts him eagerly, not caring if he’s being selfish, wanting every last second of comfort he can get before it’s ripped away from him. It feels like no time at all before Patrick’s pulling away, resting his forehead against David’s as he catches his breath.

“Maybe we should skip the stars tonight?” he asks. “Go to bed instead?”

“Wait.” David stops him as he starts to move the blanket off of them. He can’t delay this any longer. “I need to tell you something.”

“Okay.” As if sensing that David won’t be able to handle anything more, Patrick remains by his side, their bodies pressed together, but keeps his hands folded on his lap.

“There’s something I haven’t told you.”

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” Patrick tells him, the sincerity cutting through David.

“I have a final two deal with Stevie,” David rushes out, barely pausing between each word. He holds his breath as he watches the emotions that play out on Patrick’s face. It’s something he usually loves about Patrick—how open he is. But he’d give almost anything right now for the confusion and pain etched across his face to not be so damn loud.

“Oh, but, um…” Patrick trails off, searching for words. “I thought we…”

He doesn’t vocalize the question, but he doesn’t need to. It hangs in the silence between them before David finally kicks into high gear, desperate to maybe explain this in a way that won’t end with Patrick hating him.

“We do! But that wasn’t until day eleven. Stevie asked me right away. It was before you and I had even shared a bed!”

The corners of Patrick’s lips start to turn upward at that. “Stevie sure works fast then because I remember getting you into bed on that first night.”

“Yes, a bold move,” David murmurs, remembering Patrick’s request to share a bed so Rachel couldn’t try to share one with him. At the time, it seemed inconceivable that Patrick would want it to turn into something more.

“Why didn’t you tell me you already had a final two deal when I asked you?”

David tries not to, but he scoffs at the question. “Because that’s not how you play this game? We weren’t together yet. And it’s not like I didn’t want to go to the final two with you.” He ducks his head, focusing on the stitching along the edge of the blanket as he traces it with an index finger. “And I didn’t know how to tell you after without you hating me or thinking that Stevie is more important to me or-or–”

“–Hey, it’s okay,” Patrick cuts off his catastrophizing. He reaches out and stills David’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “You made a deal with her first. It’s not like you made a bunch of promises to me and then started looking for the next available option.”

David winces. It’s not what he did to Patrick, but it is what he did to Stevie, to a lesser extent. Maybe his relationship with Patrick isn’t the only one he should be worried about.

“It stings a little–” Patrick continues, but squeezes David’s hand reassuringly. “–that I’m not your only choice in the house. I’ll admit to selfishly wanting you to myself sometimes.” He grins, attempting to put David at ease. “But I’m happy that you’ve made a friend who you’ll have outside of the house.”

David pulls his hand away from Patrick. He’s being too sweet, too understanding.

“I’m not mad at you.” Patrick frowns at the loss of David’s hand.

“Because you don’t know how conflicted I’ve been this week!” 

Patrick flinches at David’s outburst. “What–what do you mean? Like you wanted me to be evicted?”

“No, no, no,” David is quick to protest. “Absolutely not. That’s the last thing I wanted. I want to walk out of this house together. But I didn’t want to have to break the deal I made with either of you.”

It feels good to get the weight off his chest, as long as he doesn’t linger too long on his fear of how Patrick will react. The fear kept him from telling Patrick the whole truth about the worries keeping him up the morning of the veto competition. But now there’s nothing holding him back, nothing stopping him from opening up completely to Patrick.

“I didn’t want to win the veto,” David begins to explain. “–because then Stevie would’ve gone up on the block next to you. I didn’t want to have to vote to evict one of you. It’s why I wanted her to win so badly.” Almost as an afterthought, he adds, “But I didn’t throw the competition. I told you I wouldn’t.”

“I’d be a little concerned if that was a decision you could make easily,” Patrick says gently. “We both mean something to you. It shouldn’t be easy for you to pick one of us to evict.”

“I don’t know what I’d have done,” David confesses.

“I do,” Patrick replies confidently. “It’s one of the things I love about you. You would’ve done the right thing—you would’ve honored the deal you made first. Stevie hasn’t done anything to betray your trust. She even went along with our plan to get rid of Jake.”

David scans Patrick’s face carefully. He’s no longer wishing that Patrick wasn’t so easy to read. It’s clear that Patrick somehow isn’t mad. “How are you okay with this?” he asks him, amazed.

“Because there’s nothing worth you getting this worked up over,” Patrick answers simply. “Especially not you worrying about ending my game. You know I didn’t come on here for the money. I needed a change.” He reaches back out for David’s hand, waiting to make sure he doesn’t pull away again. “Mission accomplished. I’ve fallen in love with the most incredible man I’ve ever met. I finally know what I want in life. I have a vision for the future that fills me with happiness instead of dread. For me, winning this game doesn’t mean being the last contestant standing.”

David reaches out for Patrick, pulling him as close as possible. “You’re the incredible one,” he says, kissing him, relieved that he can lose himself in the kiss instead of committing it to memory as if they’ll never have another.

“Are we good?” Patrick asks when they part for air.

David’s only able to nod in response, not used to being on the receiving end of that question.

“Good. I really was looking forward to cuddling under a blanket with my boyfriend as we look at the stars.” He repositions them so his back is against the arm of the couch, his legs stretched out and David laying on top of him, his cheek brushing against the soft fabric of Patrick’s t-shirt.

“I love you,” David says as Patrick fusses with the blanket, covering David as much as possible.

“I love you, too.”

And as Patrick brushes a kiss against David’s forehead and starts to point out the constellations he can identify, a thought stands out in David’s mind. He’s still not sure if he deserves Patrick, but he knows one thing for sure—he’s going to spend every day trying to be the kind of person who does.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will become the fourth jury member to battle against Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla for a second shot back in the game? And who will win the next HoH?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> This chapter covers one day and it's a long one. Thanks so much for all your love on this, we love you all.  
> Hope you all had a wonderful new year and we wish you everything you desire in 2021.
> 
> We'd also like to call on any artists who are keeping up with this fic & would like to work on a little project for us for the next chapter, if so hit us up in the comments or on twitter (@BellaFarella). It would be greatly appreciated! 
> 
> Enjoy! 💖

**DAY 71**

The morning of the eviction, the houseguests take turns recording their goodbye messages for David and Patrick. They’re the first two to go in, both barely holding it together when they leave the diary room. Stevie’s next, and she finds herself almost as emotional as them. Almost.

“Patrick, I’m sorry I had to evict you,” she starts. “I know you don’t hold it against me and believe I’m making the right decision, but I wish I didn’t have to make the choice at all. I promise I’ll look after David and won’t let him wallow too much about missing you. We’re going to get Ronnie for this.”

She composes herself before starting her message to David. It’s easier, knowing it won’t be used. “Hey, David. If you’re seeing this, something went terribly wrong. I will bring down a reign of terror over everyone.” She finishes by making the same promise she did to Patrick, only this time saying she’ll look over Patrick.

Ted and Ray take their turns next, leaving Ronnie for last. For Patrick’s message, she doesn’t muster much more than a “It had to be done.” But for David, she does expand. “I can’t say I’m sorry you’re out, David. You’re on track to win this game. You and your little showmance have been dominating this house, and had a hand in sending home almost all of my alliance. I had to make my move and get you out. Hopefully, I can make it to the final two, and with your eviction under my belt, get voted the winner. I know you understand.”

*

David and Patrick spend their last day together much like they’ve spent the past couple—enjoying each other’s company and making the most of their time together before they’re separated for what could be another four weeks. As much as neither of them wants to wait that long to see each other again, they’re both hoping whoever remains makes it to finale night.

Stevie joins them for lunch, offering to make whatever Patrick wants. It’s clear she feels bad for how she’s going to vote, even though Patrick pulled her aside the night before to tell her he was okay with what she had to do. She even offers to clean up all their dishes, which Patrick is ready to refuse until David grabs his hand to pull him away.

“We should get ready for tonight,” David says, leading them to their room. “Help me pick an outfit?”

Patrick’s lips turn up in a lopsided grin. He never imagined a scenario in which David would ask for his fashion advice. “Only if you help me with mine.”

“Oh, well that’s a given.”

Patrick’s smile grows as David motions for him to sit on the bed and starts to look through Patrick’s clothes, a deep look of concentration on his face.

“Absolutely not,” David murmurs as he quickly tosses the offending shirt aside.

Patrick laughs as soon as he sees which shirt it is. “Why not?” he teases, reaching for the shirt David shrunk in the laundry.

“Do you really think I’m going to be able to say goodbye to you while your arms are all–” He waves his hands around. “Besides, there’s no way you’re potentially meeting my mother in that.”

“Aw, I think–” Patrick starts to respond until he sees the look of terror on his boyfriend’s face. “David?”

“You can’t meet my mom without me.” David shakes his head. “That’d be… Nope, you can’t meet her without me. Patrick, you have to make it to the final two.”

“What exactly are you afraid is going to happen on live television?” Patrick drops this shirt beside him on the bed and reaches for David, pulling him to stand between his legs.

David shrugs, instinctively wrapping his arms around Patrick’s shoulders. “If you knew her, you wouldn’t need me to answer that.”

Patrick grins up at him. “Well, I can’t wait to meet her. And your dad. You know, I used to work at a Rose Video in high school.”

“And you’re only telling me this now?”

“Branch 785,” Patrick confirms. “I can still remember the instruction videos.”

David winces, and Patrick laughs, sure that he’s recalling his mother’s starring role in them.

“Don’t worry,” Patrick tells him. “I’m sure my parents will be happy to share plenty of embarrassing photos and stories with you.”

David moves to sit on Patrick’s lap, a shy smile on his face as he tucks his head into Patrick’s neck. “I’m looking forward to that. I’m still nervous about whether or not they’ll actually like me, but if they raised you, they must be amazing people.”

“They are. And so are you.” Patrick kisses him on the forehead. “I’m even more convinced now than I was the first time I told you that they’ll love you.” He presses another kiss against David’s forehead.

They stay like that, arms wrapped around each other, until they can’t deny that they’re running out of time. Neither say anything, comfortable in the silence with each other. David’s the first one to move out of the embrace, kissing Patrick on the cheek and then the lips before standing up and continuing his mission of picking out Patrick’s outfit.

Patrick watches in amusement as David considers his options.

“This one,” David finally says, holding up a dark blue button-up shirt. “You’ll look even more handsome than usual.”

“My turn,” Patrick says as he stands, but David is quick to gently push him back down.

“I have to pull some options for you first.”

“How come you got to look at all of my clothes, but I’m only getting a carefully curated selection?” Patrick teases.

David looks up from where he’s debating between two sweaters and pauses. “First of all, please keep talking about carefully curated selections. That was really hot.”

Patrick snickers.

“And second of all–” David continues. “–that wasn’t a serious question, was it?”

“It wasn’t,” Patrick assures him, and pleased with the answer, David continues choosing between his outfits. “How did you even manage to fit so many clothes into your luggage?”

David shrugs. “When you’re suddenly forced to pack up as much of your possessions as quickly as possible, you learn a secret talent for effective packing.” 

Patrick’s heart sinks at the image of David being forced to choose between his things and pack as his life tumbles around him. “I’m s–”

“–Okay, here are your options,” David cuts him off, laying them all down on the next bed.

Patrick considers the three options, knowing David definitely has a favorite. The first is a black sweater with silver sequins along the shoulders, running down the sides. Similarly, the second is a black sweater with black sequins covering the front. The third—another black sweater—has ‘I believe in the power of love’ written inside a heart in the center with geometric print surrounding it.

“Which one best says that I’m heartbroken over losing my boyfriend?” David asks.

“This one–” Patrick says, picking up the third sweater. “–says you’re heartbroken over having to be _temporarily_ separated from your boyfriend, but you’re going to win this entire game.”

David’s wide smile in response lets him know he made the correct choice. “Perfect. Now I just need to finish off our outfits.”

“Don’t take too long,” Patrick says, reclining back on their bed. “We need enough time to properly say ‘see you later’.”

David’s gaze moves down Patrick’s body. “You’re a menace,” he growls.

Patrick flushes under the heat of David’s look. “You love it,” he counters.

Biting down a smile, David murmurs his agreement. Seemingly giving up on his wardrobe mission for the moment, he gets on the bed, covering Patrick’s body with his own. “I love everything about you.”

Patrick’s response is the last words spoken aloud between them for a while, both choosing to let their mouths and hands speak for them.

*

“Good evening, I’m television’s Moira Rose,” Moira greets the audience and camera. “The last remaining showmance is up for eviction. They did all that they could to get one of them off the chopping block but in the end, HoH and PoV holder, Ronnie, knew it was time to split them up. However, what none of the houseguests know is that whoever gets evicted tonight has a chance to get back into the game. But first, let’s check in with the first three members of the jury - Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla, to see what they’ve been up to and who they think will be the fourth member of the jury who they will have to battle against to re-enter the game.”

The camera pans to a screen where they show the outside of a secluded house, somewhere away from the Big Brother house. The sun is bright in the sky before they pan into the house where you see Alexis in the kitchen making herself a drink - her first week alone in the house.

“Spending a week alone has been an adjustment for me,” Alexis tells the camera. “I’ve never been completely alone like this ever. Always with people, friends, lovers, you know,” she says, flipping her hair with a small smirk. She takes a sip of her drink before putting it back down. “I’ve been watching movies from the array of DVDs left for me, and I’ve been reading. Been spending a lot of time outside, working on my tan,” she says, running her hand up her arm to show off her tan. “But I am super excited to see who’s going to walk in next. Mainly to have some company, but also like, I really want to know what happened this week in the house. Who I’m hoping to see… well, obviously I want Rachel to walk in. She’s the reason I’m here. I definitely don’t want Ted or David to come in since I want them to make it far in the game, though, I do really, like, miss them? I just keep thinking about them in the house and it’s so weird. This is a new feeling for me.”

Alexis hears the door open and she gasps, “Oh my God, someone’s here.” She waits for the person to enter the kitchen and when she sees Rachel she laughs. “Yes!” she says, making Rachel laugh, too. She hugs her tight when she approaches her. 

“So you’re thrilled I’m here,” Rachel laughs, hugging her. 

Alexis pulls back and says, “Yeah, you did put me here,” slapping her arm lightly. “I’m also glad you’re here because I’ve been very lonely and before you blindsided me, we were very close.”

“I’m so sorry about that by the way, it really wasn’t anything against _you_ , just against your brother. I honestly thought it would be a tie and that David would send Stevie home but I guess not,” Rachel explains herself.

Alexis scrunches up her face, shaking her head. “Oh my God, no, it’s fine. It’s just a game,” she waves her off. “So how about I make you a drink and you can tell me what happened?”

“Make me one too?” they hear from behind them as Twyla walks into the room.

“Oh my _God,_ Twy!” Alexis squeals. “What?”

Twyla grins as she walks over, hugging Rachel then Alexis. “Double eviction,” she answers briefly before letting her go.

“Oh my God, okay, so I need details!” Alexis says. She makes them their drinks and the three women head to the living room where they put in the tape of what happened this week - just who won what and who got evicted. 

Once they finished watching Alexis says, “Wow, okay so, yay Ted! I’m so proud of him.”

“He got justice for you by getting me out,” Rachel comments.

“But Twy, I’m so sorry, you got, like, totally blindsided too,” Alexis tells her. 

“Yeah, no, I’m fine,” Twyla waves her off. “It was a total shock but it is what it is. They’re running the house.”

“Who is?” Alexis asks, playing dumb, she knows who she means.

“David, Patrick, and Stevie,” Twyla tells her. “They’re definitely an alliance that has been working together throughout this game.”

“One hundred percent,” Rachel agrees. “If Ronnie or Ray win this next HoH, we’ll be seeing one of them next.”

“I hope it’s someone one of us can win against to battle back into the house,” Twyla notes. 

Rachel tells them that they should all talk about their experience in the house and what information they can share so that if one of them gets back into the house, they can do the most damage and go after the right people. Alexis nods along, pretending to agree but she doesn’t plan on doing that. She doesn’t trust Rachel one bit, even if she only put her up to get back at David, it still doesn’t excuse that she _did_ nominate her and she was actively targeting her brother. Anything she tells them this week is just to blow smoke up their asses, not wanting them to have any type of advantage if one of them does get back in over her or whoever the fourth jury member will be.

The camera pans back out of the jury house, leaving the girls to discuss who they thought would be the fourth juror before landing back on Moira who tells the audience they will be right back.

*

Inside the house, David and Patrick sit in the nomination chairs, hands clasped together in the middle, not even bothering to pretend anymore. Stevie sits on the sofa closest to David, Ronnie is sitting on the same sofa but closest to the other end, while Ted and Ray sit on the other sofa, in similar positions. Moira comes on their screen and they all greet her with smiles.

“Good evening, houseguests,” she says with a smile, looking elegant as usual, and tonight with a bright pink wig. “How’s everyone doing tonight?”

“Not great,” David says.

Moira gives him a soft smile. “Let’s talk about that. How has this week been for you both, being nominated together?” she asks them both.

They share a look before David turns back to look at her. He says, “Horrible. This was _literally_ one of my worst nightmares come true. It was a power move from Ronnie so there’s no hard feelings, I respect her tremendously for taking the shot. It’s just been hard.”

“Yeah,” Patrick agrees. “This has been the hardest week for sure.”

“Well, it is time for the eviction, so David, Patrick,” she tells them. “You both have thirty seconds to plead your case to your housemates. Patrick, you can go first.”

Patrick stands, running his hands down his jean-clad thighs. “Hi mom, dad, I miss you both. Houseguests, I won’t say why you should keep me because I don’t think you should. David deserves to be in this house and I’ve already won because I met him,” he says, turning slightly to look at David who’s smiling at him softly, tears in his eyes. He reaches out for David’s hand and says, “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“Me too,” David whispers.

“Thank you,” Patrick tells his housemates before sitting down, squeezing David’s hand.

“Thank you, Patrick. David,” Moira tells him.

David stands, not letting go of Patrick’s hand. “This has been the worst week of my life and I’m not even exaggerating. Don’t listen to Patrick, you should vote for who best benefits your game and if that’s me then that’s great but if not, you’re getting to keep Patrick and that’s -” he takes a steadying breath. “That’s absolutely incredible. Being in this house, getting to play Big Brother was a lifelong dream so thank you to everyone involved in letting me be a part of this life changing experience for helping me meet the love of my life,” he says looking down at Patrick with a soft smile, a tear sliding down his cheek. He looks back to his housemates and thanks them before sitting back down. 

“Thank you, David, thank you both,” Moira tells them once they're seated. “It’s time for the live vote and eviction. The two nominees are not allowed to vote, neither is the HoH. The rest of you will enter the diary room, one at a time, and cast your vote to evict. Stevie, you’re up first, please head to the diary room.”

Stevie stands and makes her way to the diary room. “Stevie is in a final three with both nominees but a final two with David, it should be obvious who she will be keeping,” Moira tells the audience. 

Stevie sits in the diary room, waiting for Moira. “Hi Stevie,” she greets her.

“Hi,” she says softly, sadly.

“Please cast your vote for eviction.”

Stevie sighs. “I sadly vote to evict Patrick,” she says.

“Thank you,” Moira says.

Stevie nods before standing and making her way out, passing by Ray.

Once Ray is seated, Moira asks him for his vote. He says, “This is very sad but I vote to evict David.”

Ray leaves, passing by Ted. “It comes down to Ted to break the tie,” Moira comments. Ted sits in the chair and Moira tells him, “Hi Ted. Please cast your vote for eviction.”

“I’ve struggled with this for days,” he sighs. “I’m sorry, Alexis, but I vote to evict David.”

“Thank you, Ted,” Moira says before he nods and leaves the room.

“It’s official with two votes, David will be the last evicted houseguest who will battle to come back. Let’s inform the houseguests,” she tells the audience. Ted sits back down and Moira reappears on their screen. “The votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his belongings, and walk out the front door. By a vote of 2 to 1… David, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Patrick gets chills down his spine, _what the fuck?!_ He stands when David stands and they make their way to the door where he lets him go so he can hug everyone. _Ted flipped. He should have voted him out, not David. What the hell changed?_

David comes to stand in front of Patrick and they smile sadly at each other. Patrick pulls him in, hugging him tight. David’s arms wrap around his shoulders. 

“I’m so sorry,” Patrick whispers.

“It’s not your fault, it’s okay,” David tells him, squeezing him tighter. Patrick pulls back slightly before leaning forward and kissing him hard on the lips. David kisses him back with everything he has. He feels tears slip down his cheeks, a mix of both of their tears. 

They pull back from the embrace and Patrick picks up his bag for him, handing it over. “I love you,” he says softly.

“I love you,” David says back before winking at him. Patrick opens the door for him as David says bye to everyone and walks out the door to a cheering crowd.

The remaining houseguests walk to the memory wall to watch as his picture turns black and white. Patrick can’t help but smile as he says, “Black and white, just like his aesthetic, he would have loved this,” making the others chuckle and agree.

*

David walks out and sees the crowd cheering for him as they all stand. He grins, blushing, as he makes his way over to his mom. He puts his bag down and goes to her where she actually hugs him, kissing both of his cheeks. He sits across from her in his stool, waiting for the audience to quiet down. “My son,” Moira says softly. 

“Hi,” he says awkwardly, looking around making the audience laugh.

“Well isn’t this just awful?”

“Uh yeah!” David says. 

“Are you blindsided by the vote?” 

He hums, “Not really no. I knew Stevie would vote to keep me and that Ray would keep Patrick but Ted… I thought _maybe_ he’d throw me his vote because of Alexis but I had a feeling he would keep Patrick.”

“How come?”

“They’re closer,” he shrugs. “I also think he’s smarter at this game than he’s letting on. I think he realized how close Stevie and I are and that if Patrick left, he wouldn’t be my first pick. What he doesn’t know is that Patrick and Stevie _are_ closer and he still isn’t Patrick’s first pick.”

“Do you have any regrets? Would you change anything if you got to play again?” Moira asks.

“No regrets. I’d still play the game with Patrick and Stevie, they’re the only ones who haven’t let me down. They were the perfect allies. I have enough regrets in my life - how I played this game is not one of them,” David says and the audience claps for that.

“Well, normally this would be when I’d show you your goodbye messages, however…”

David moves to the edge of his seat, “Yes?” 

“You and the first three evictees - Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla - will battle back to re-enter the game and have a second shot at the grand prize,” Moira tells him.

“Yes!” David says, “Oh my God, this is amazing.”

Moira chuckles. “Thought you might like that,” she says with a wink. “Stay right there,” she points to him before turning to the camera and saying, “Up next, the first four jury members will battle to re-enter the house. We’ll be right back.”

*

David changes into the outfit provided - shorts and a t-shirt - as he makes his way around the house to enter the yard from a hidden door. In the yard he sees Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla. They all gasp when they see him enter the yard, Alexis saying, “No!” before he walks up to her and hugs her tight. “You weren’t supposed to be out here,” she tells him.

“I’m sorry?” he says with a small laugh. He hugs Twyla and even Rachel opens her arms for one so he gives her an awkward hug.

“What happened?” Twyla asks him.

“Ronnie won HoH, nominated me and Patrick. She won veto and kept it the same. It was 2 to 1 to evict me,” he recaps briefly. 

“Wow,” Twyla says, a smile on her face. “Sorry David, but I’m really proud of Ronnie for making that move.”

“Oh so am I. It was the biggest move this season, but it’ll be ruined when I walk back in the house,” he says with a wink.

*

Inside the house, Moira tells the final five to head outside for the HoH competition. The screen covering the door lifts and they can see the first four jury members outside. 

“Oh my God!” Stevie says when she sees them. They all rush out and move to hug one another. Ted runs right to Alexis, kissing her on the lips. Patrick does the same to David. 

“Okay, houseguests, please get into your positions, it’s time for the Jury Battle-Back and HoH competition,” Moira tells them. “As outgoing HoH, Ronnie, you will not be competing.”

Alexis, Rachel, Twyla, and David move to climb up their stand, while the remaining houseguests, minus Ronnie, go up their stand, standing where their names are. The yard looks like a circus and behind them is a big spinning wheel with balls attached onto strings. There are many balls in all different colors. 

“This competition is called [‘Big Top Drop’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-5nvygy1JE) and here’s how it works. The balls behind you have begun to spin in the air. On my go, you’ll race to retrieve your individual colored balls, one at a time, and drop them into your tubes. The first evictee to drop four balls into their tube will be back in the game. As for the HoH part of this competition, the same rules apply, however you will need to drop six balls into your tube and buzz in on the other side of the yard. If a houseguest buzzes in with six balls before an evictee has gotten four balls in their tube, no evictee will re-enter the game. The first player - evictee included - to get six balls into their tube and buzz in will be the next HoH. Does everyone understand?” Moira explains the competition to them.

Patrick’s stomach drops. He was going to beast through this competition but if he gets six balls in his tube before David even gets four then he doesn’t have a chance to re-enter and he _needs_ David to re-enter this game. He’ll just need to wait for David to get four before powering through and winning HoH so they can get back at Ronnie.

They all agree to understanding the competition and soon the buzzer sounds letting them know to begin. They all climb down or jump down from their stand, running to the spinning wheel of colored balls. David doesn’t have to jump much to grab his first purple ball, running back up his platform to lower himself over the railing, aiming to drop his ball into his tube. He manages to get it on the first try, climbing back down to continue.

Patrick hears Moira confirm that David got his first ball in his tube. He grins as he aims his green ball, dropping it right into his tube. 

The competition is not as easy as they seem but it’s going quickly as David has three balls in his tube, Alexis has two, and Twyla and Rachel both only have one ball. As for the remaining houseguests, Patrick has three balls as well, Ted and Ray both have two, and Stevie has one.

David rushes back up his platform to aim over the railing, holding his fourth ball. He takes a deep, calming breath, not wanting to fuck this up. He drops the ball and it lands inside his tube.

“Yes!” he cries but doesn’t stop there, making his way back down so he can try to win the HoH. 

“With four balls in his tube, David has secured his spot back into the house. Sorry Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla, but you three will be heading back to the jury house,” Moira announces. 

Ted stops what he’s doing to rush over to Alexis and kiss her. She lets him but then pushes him off, telling him to go win this HoH. David waves to Alexis before the three evicted houseguests leave the house from a side door. 

Patrick, now with four balls of his own, needs to hurry up and get these last two in his tube now that he knows David is back. He wants to win this for them.

“David and Patrick both have four balls, Ray and Ted have three, and Stevie now has two,” Moira announces their standings. 

Patrick grabs another green ball before running back up his platform. He reaches over the railing, dropping the ball directly into his tube. He just needs one more.

David misses his fifth ball and rushes back down to get another. Stevie manages to get a third ball in and Ted gets in his fourth. Patrick makes his way back up his platform with his sixth ball. He takes a breath, looking down at the tube below. He leans over the railing as much as he can without falling off, and drops his ball into the tube. He’s not done just yet, he jumps back down and runs across the yard, hitting the buzzer. 

“Congratulations, Patrick! You are the new Head of Household,” Moira announces.

“Boom, baby!” Patrick cheers. 

David runs over to Patrick, slamming into him as he hugs him tight. Patrick laughs as they embrace, a couple tears escaping. “You’re back,” he says into his ear.

“You’re HoH,” David tells him before pulling back and kissing him hard on the lips. 

They laugh into the kiss, pulling away from each other to accept congratulations from their housemates. 

Stevie hugs David tight and tells him, “Glad you’re back.”

He hugs her just as tight and says, “Me too.” 

*

After Patrick reveals his HoH room, Ronnie and Ray slip out claiming to want something to eat. This leaves David, Patrick, Stevie, and Ted in the room. Ted knows he has some explaining to do so he says, “David, I want to apologize for voting against you tonight.”

“Oh, it’s fine, Ted,” David waves him off. “There’s no hard feelings.”

Ted smiles, “Thanks, David. I just - having to choose between the two of you was _not_ easy.”

“I get it, really, don’t worry about it,” David tells him.

“Everything worked out,” Patrick says. “David’s back and I’m HoH. Now we can have the week we should have had last week.”

“Fuck yes,” David says with a grin.

“It is quite _purr-fect_ ,” Ted says but his tone is sad.

“I’m sorry Alexis couldn’t also come back,” David tells him. 

“It’s okay, I’m just happy I got to hold her again,” he says with a sad smile. “Um, I’m gonna go downstairs, be alone for a bit. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Okay.”

Ted makes his way out of the room, leaving them alone in the HoH room. “I feel bad for Ted,” Patrick says. “I know if any of them came back instead of you, I’d be just as upset, if not more.”

David smiles, rubbing his shoulder. “He’ll be okay, he’s safe for another couple weeks at least, if we keep winning,” he tells him.

Stevie snickers. “Why do you think he evicted you anyway?” she asks.

“Pretty sure he thought by having me out that he would be Patrick’s first choice, obviously not expecting the two of you to be as close as you are.”

Stevie chuckles, “Poor guy.”

“We need him though,” Patrick reminds them. “If he wins next week, we need him to target Ray and not either of us.” 

“Ray?”

“Yeah, I fully plan on getting Ronnie out this week,” Patrick tells them. “She’s my number one target. If she happens to win PoV, then Ray is gone.” 

They agree with that plan - the only plan - since Patrick won’t nominate either of them or Ted. Stevie decides to leave them alone and give them some privacy, also to not raise even more suspicion about how close the three of them truly are. 

*

“I’m going to go unpack downstairs and then I’ll be back, okay?” David stops walking to the door when he sees the confused look on Patrick’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“You don’t want to sleep in here with me tonight?” 

“Um, what gave you that idea?” David asks, genuinely confused. How are they suddenly not on the same page after such a short period apart? It hadn’t even been half an hour! “I just said I’d be back.”

“But you’re unpacking downstairs?”

David’s no less confused by Patrick’s reasoning. “We never bring our stuff up when the other is HoH.”

“We’ve also never been all packed up before.” Patrick shrugs, looking down at his feet. “I thought it just made sense for you to bring all your stuff up here, too. There’s no use in trying to pretend like we’re not together. Stevie and Ted know. And we haven’t been sneaking around since Rachel used her power, but even if Ronnie and Ray still didn’t know for sure, they definitely know now.”

“You’re definitely right about that.” David grins, thinking of the kisses they shared once the votes were revealed, when they saw each other again before the competition, and after Patrick won. “I’ll go grab my stuff from downstairs and then be right back,” he corrects his previous statement.

Patrick looks up, smiling. “I’ll save you some space on the bathroom counter.”

David knows it’s a joke; Patrick’s skin care routine is barely a step up from non-existent, so he’s not going to be taking up any of the space himself. But the sentiment warms him all the same. He can picture a future where Patrick does make space for him—not only on his counter and his home, but in his life.

The domestic image of a shared space is something he’s never had before, and the fact that Patrick wants to start now, with both of their possessions in the HoH room, is another confirmation of how right this relationship is. It doesn’t matter how small of a step sharing the HoH room—not just the HoH bed—is. It gives him a sense of security and hope for the future—two things he’s becoming used to thanks to Patrick.

He takes his time heading downstairs. As sure as he is for their future, he’s still a little worried about his confession about his final two deal with Stevie. Patrick couldn’t have reacted better, but that was back when he thought one of them—most likely himself—was about to be finished with the game. It had been a moot point when it looked as if they wouldn’t be playing with each other any longer. But now… Now they are again and Patrick is bound to feel in second place to Stevie, whether or not that’s actually true. And while David has no doubt that they’ll be able to work through anything together once the game is over, he isn’t so sure what will happen now. Will Patrick and Stevie’s friendship suffer? Will tension break apart their alliance too early?

When he makes it back upstairs with his things, he finds Patrick emptying his goodies basket, separating everything into piles on the bed. “What are you doing?”

Patrick blushes as if he wasn’t expecting to get caught. “Um, separating out the things I know you’ll like from what you won’t.”

David looks over the piles, floored by Patrick’s thoughtfulness. It’s not that he’s surprised by it. But he is in awe of how Patrick always finds a way to go above and beyond. Snagging a mini chocolate from what’s clearly the David pile, he unwraps it and pops it in his mouth. “Thank you,” he mumbles around the chocolate, hoping the two words convey much more than just that.

Patrick seems to understand, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears. “You’re welcome.”

While Patrick finishes sorting and then putting everything back into the basket—reorganized so David won’t have to dig through granola bars for a treat, David fills up the bathroom counter. After having spent so long trying to take up as little space as possible when it came to his partners—if he can even call them that—it’s nice to feel free to take up as much space as he wants.

When he’s done, he rejoins Patrick and they both start to go through their bags. David’s slower, watching Patrick, anxious for him to find the surprise he slipped inside the bag earlier in the day.

“Wha–” Patrick pulls out the bottle, examining it. “Is this your cologne?”

David nods shyly. “I thought it might help you if you were missing me.”

“You were willing to give it up for me?” Patrick’s eyes do that thing that makes David want to launch himself at him.

“I was planning to win HoH and request a new one,” David tries to play off the significance of his actions.

“Something tells me a Japanese cologne that smells like a car crashing into a cedar tree is outside the allowed budget.” Patrick uncaps the bottle, sniffing it. “I’m really glad I have the real thing again and won’t be needing this.”

David smiles at Patrick remembering his description of the cologne. Patrick asked early in their relationship, when he was first discovering how much he loves placing soft kisses along David’s neck.

“I guess we had the same thought,” Patrick says, breaking David out of his thoughts.

“What do you mean?”

Patrick motions towards David’s bag. “Keep going.”

David reaches in, and underneath the top sweater, he feels something familiar. “Did you…” He pulls it out, confirming the soft fabric belongs to Patrick’s heather blue t-shirt.

“I thought it might help you if you were missing me,” Patrick repeats David’s earlier sentiment.

“You’re not getting this back,” David warns him, holding it close to his chest.

“I thought the real appeal was me in the shirt.”

David grins, unable to let the joke Patrick perfectly set up go unsaid. “No, the real appeal is you _out_ of a shirt.”

“Speaking of–” Patrick says, returning his grin. “Don’t you think it’s about time for bed? Hurry up.”

Despite Patrick’s words, they both take their time. Their shared nighttime ritual, whether it’s been in the HoH room or downstairs, is something they’ve both loved over the weeks. Once they’re done, they get into bed, automatically reaching for each other.

“Please tell me I’m not going to wake up and realize this was all a dream,” Patrick pleads, kissing his spot on David’s neck.

“Fuck, I hope not,” David replies, capturing Patrick’s lips with his own.

“Watching you walk out that door was so hard,” Patrick confesses. “I wanted to follow you. I thought it was going to be me. It never should’ve been you.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re both back where we belong.” David lets out a sigh of relief. “And you didn’t have to meet my mother.”

“I’m sorry I missed you,” Patrick teases. “But I’m glad you got to see her. How was it?” 

“Really good,” David says, smiling. “We didn’t get that much time together, but I’m glad I at least got to see her in person instead of on the screen.”

“I’m sure she felt the same way.”

“I think so,” David agrees, a little surprised at how true that is. “Wait, I didn’t get my goodbye messages. What did yours say?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure.” Patrick smiles apologetically. “I think I rambled on for a long time about how much you mean to me and how much I’d miss you. I wasn’t expecting it to be used, so it was more of a release of how I was feeling than a message to you. What did you say in your message for me?”

David considers Patrick’s question for a moment. When he asked it of Patrick, he should’ve expected it to be turned back on him, but he was too curious about Patrick’s message to think of that. Unlike Patrick, he knows exactly what he said, having practiced and memorized it beforehand. Although he always intended for Patrick to hear it, it feels different saying it to his face while in his arms. The all-consuming desire to please Patrick wins out against his fear, and he takes a deep breath before looking Patrick in the eye and reciting it.

“Patrick, I’m so sorry you’re sitting out there while I’m in here. I wish this week had turned out differently, not only because there’s nothing I want more than to be by your side right now, but because you deserve to be here. Three veto wins– the most in the house. Four competition wins total– tied with me for the most wins. And an amazing social game, too. You may not have come into this game because of the money, but you’ve proven that you’re an amazing competitor who deserves to win. 

“But more importantly, you’ve proven what an incredible person you are. Being on Big Brother may have been a long-time dream of mine, but you have been the best part of this experience. I’ve never liked a smile as much as I like yours. I've never felt as safe as I feel when I'm with you. I've never known love like I do when we're together. It won’t be an easy road for me without you now, but knowing you’ll be there for me at the end makes everything okay.”

David wipes away the tears threatening to fall, and lets out a sobbing laugh. “Or something like that. Who knows how they would’ve edited it.”

“David.” Patrick chokes back a sob. “That was…” He trails off, pulling David in for a kiss instead of finishing the thought.

David can feel the depth of Patrick’s emotions being poured into the kiss and gives as good as he takes.

“I feel the same way,” Patrick says when they break apart. “You make me feel so safe and loved. You made me feel safe enough to truly be myself. Thank you.”

They reach back out for each other at the same time, grateful that they still have the opportunity.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Patrick's nominations being a no brainer this week, it's up to him and his allies to secure them for eviction by winning the PoV.  
> BB Comics is back, who will win this iconic competition??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!  
> This chapter is our longest one yet, at just past 8k words! It covers two days, the longest part covering the PoV competition since it's an iconic one. I've linked a video of this competition played on BB16 for those who've never seen the show and want to see how it's played.  
> Thank you for your continued support on this fic, we appreciate it more than you know! Enjoy 💖

**DAY 72**

David slowly wakes up, sleep leaving him as his eyes blink open. He sees the privacy of the HoH room. He feels Patrick’s arm wrapped around his torso, his hand moving up slowly, reaching for his hand. David smiles, taking Patrick’s hand in his and kissing the back of it. 

Patrick kisses the back of his neck, pulling him in closer, smiling - David can feel it on his skin. “Good morning,” Patrick whispers hotly into his ear before kissing that spot right below his ear that sends butterflies swarming inside of him. 

“Mm, good morning,” David says, shifting his ass slightly, to move against Patrick who’s pressed up against him. 

“David…” he says into his ear and it sends heat pooling inside of him now, his dick getting hard. He brings their joined hands down his body before letting it go and reaching back to grip onto Patrick’s hip. Patrick palms at David through his joggers, feeling how hard he is. He moans into the crook of his neck before kissing him there again, nipping at his skin lightly, causing David to moan. 

There’s a knock on the door, and they both pull away from each other, cursing whoever it is for interrupting them. Patrick sits up in bed but David stays laying down. “Yes?” Patrick calls out.

“Are you decent?” they hear Stevie ask outside of the room, not opening the door.

“Ugh!” David groans.

Patrick chuckles but he feels his frustration. “Yes, Stevie,” he tells her.

She opens the door and pokes her head inside. “It was either me or Ray, and I know Ray wouldn’t have knocked,” she tells them.

“Why couldn’t it be neither of you?” David asks, glaring at her.

“Oh, did you _not_ want breakfast?” she teases.

“Obviously, I do,” he tells her.

“We’ll be there soon,” Patrick adds.

Stevie nods before leaving, closing the door. David paws at Patrick’s chest and says, “Get back down here.”

Patrick chuckles but does as he’s told. “Don’t you want breakfast?” he asks once he’s laying back down next to David, this time facing him. 

“Want you first,” he says before closing the distance between them, kissing him on the lips, his arm wrapped around him, pulling him closer to him.

*

After breakfast, Patrick asks Ray if they can chat so they head into the room by the bathroom. They sit down and Patrick says, “So the thing is… I’m going to be nominating you today. It’s nothing personal whatsoever. I think you’re great, we’re friends. It’s just that there aren’t many options left. Ronnie is my target.”

Ray nods along. “I understand, Patrick, but can I ask?” Patrick nods so Ray continues, “Why not nominate Ted or Stevie? I know you wouldn’t nominate David but there are still two other people you could nominate.”

“You’re closest to Ronnie and if you win the veto and remove her, I would be losing someone who hasn’t done anything wrong to me in the game. I need Ronnie to leave this week,” he explains.

“Oh yes, okay, I see where you’re coming from,” Ray says with his ever present smile. 

“Are we good?” Patrick asks him, face open and tender, hoping not to have made another enemy.

Ray grins. “Of course, Patrick, there’s no hard feelings,” he tells him.

Patrick releases a breath. “Okay good, that’s good, thank you, Ray,” he says, smiling. 

They leave the room, Ray heading to the washroom and Patrick heading outside. He finds David and Ted sitting on the sofa in the shade. He sits next to David, kissing his cheek softly. 

“Hi,” David says, smiling, “Where were you?”

“Talking to Ray.”

“You told him?” David asks. Patrick nods. “How did it go?”

Patrick shrugs, “He was very understanding and still his cheery self.”

David makes a face. “Sounds sketchy.”

“He asked me why I wouldn’t nominate you or Stevie,” he adds, nodding over to Ted, who moved closer to listen in on the conversation.

“Ugh,” David groans.

“What did you say?” Ted asks.

“I told him that I needed Ronnie out and he’s close to her so I couldn’t have him win veto and use it on her so my best option was to nominate them together.”

“Which _is_ true,” David adds.

Patrick chuckles. “It is, but we know that’s not the only reason.”

“Well yeah.”

“One of us needs to win the veto, keep it the same,” Ted comments.

“One hundred percent,” David agrees with Patrick nodding.

*

The five remaining houseguests that can be nominated sit at the table in the kitchen waiting for the HoH. Patrick walks into the room with the nomination key box. He sets it down on the table, standing in front of his housemates. “This is the nomination ceremony. As HoH, it is my responsibility to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will turn the key and the face of the houseguest nominated will be on the memory wall. The first houseguest nominated is–,” Patrick says before turning the first key. “Ronnie.” 

“Shock,” she mutters when she sees her face on the memory wall. 

“The next houseguest I have nominated is… Ray,” Patrick says after turning the second key. “I have nominated you, Ronnie, and you, Ray, for eviction. Ronnie, you nominated myself and David last week and he left before battling back into the house. You’ve been after me for weeks so it’s only right I pay it back by nominating you.” 

She nods, a smile on her face, she expected to be nominated, and she likes his speech - the kid has balls. 

“Ray, I have nominated you because there aren't many people left in the house and seeing as how you are the closest to Ronnie, I couldn’t take a chance by not nominating you in case you won veto and decided to save her. I hope you understand.” 

Ray smiles, nodding. “This nomination ceremony is adjourned,” Patrick finishes before picking up the nomination key box and leaving the room. 

As he leaves the storage room, he heads to the diary room next. He talks about why he needed to nominate them and how he hopes this week goes for him and his allies. Once he’s done he finds David outside on the hammock.

“Hey,” he says with a smile, looking at him relaxing.

“Hi, get in here with me,” David tells him.

Patrick climbs in, David moving so they can both lay in it comfortably. Once they’re both comfortable, they smile at each other. “That was a good speech,” David says.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” David nods. “It was honest and you weren’t mean or anything. I noticed Ronnie’s face and she even looked impressed, rather than annoyed.”

“That’s good,” Patrick comments. He sighs contently, “I’m so glad you’re back.”

David twists his mouth to the side as he reaches his hand out for Patrick who takes it in his, intertwining their fingers. “We were apart for like twenty minutes,” David teases.

“Twenty minutes too long,” Patrick says. 

David smiles, “Very true.”

Patrick smiles, that sweet, fond, smile that makes David want to melt into a puddle because of how soft it is. “We’re almost there… the finish line,” he says softly. David smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes, that just reminds him that he told Patrick about his final two with Stevie. “Hey, it’s okay,” Patrick tells him.

“What is?” 

Patrick smiles knowingly. “That you have a final two with Stevie,” he says softly, even though they’re alone. “I still don’t mind. I know you told me because one of us was going to leave but now that we’re both still here… it still doesn’t change anything for me - for us. I love you. If we’re in the final three and I win that last HoH, I’m still taking you with me to the final two.”

David feels tears in his eyes. “I don’t deserve you,” he says, shaking his head.

“Don’t say that,” Patrick tells him. “You made a deal with a friend before we got together. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve me. You’re still my number one priority - that won’t change.”

David nods, letting those tears slip down his cheeks. 

“Come here,” Patrick adds, pulling at his hand a little.

They maneuver themselves to lay together so David can lay his head on Patrick’s chest with Patrick’s arms wrapped around him. He kisses the top of David’s head and says, “I love you, David, so much.”

“I love you so much,” David says, clutching at his shirt. 

Patrick squeezes him tight where they lay together in the silence, enjoying each other’s presence and comfort.

**DAY 73**

Ronnie keeps herself secluded the morning of the veto competition. David’s not surprised; she needs to get herself ready for the competition. He just hates how awkward it is in the house right now. With so few people left—and such a clear divide between the two groups—the tension after nominations is more obvious than before. He likes Ronnie, her weird vendetta against Patrick aside. He’d probably like her a lot less if he was in the jury house right now, but her unsuccessful attempt to get him out of the house was just that– unsuccessful. And her actions will most likely be paid back this week.

David says as much in the diary room. It’s probably not useful enough to be put on air, but he wants to give them as many good clips as possible. Something, anything, to balance out what he knows is probably happening online right now. He’s fully aware of how expressive his face is, making him a likely candidate as the houseguest most featured in memes and GIFs. He’s not opposed to that exactly; he’s definitely done his own share of posting during past seasons. But he hopes to leave a more lasting impression than that on viewers.

Getting temporarily evicted was an unfortunate reminder that there’s no guarantee he’ll make it to the final two. He needs a back-up plan because now that Patrick’s involved, he’s even more determined than ever to turn his store from a dream to a reality. If he doesn’t end up in the final two, he’s hoping to be named America’s Favorite Player. 

But he’ll have to receive the majority of viewers’ votes in order to be awarded that $25,000 prize. And he refuses to play up his relationship with Patrick to get viewers’ attention. They’re in a real relationship, not just some showmance. So instead he bares his soul, as uncomfortable as it makes him, in the diary room, hoping some of it will be used and some viewers will be able to connect with it.

He tries not to focus on America’s opinion of him too much, though. There’s always a risk of that starting a spiral of thinking that him being the host’s son puts him at a disadvantage, which leads to the ever present worry that Patrick’s family doesn’t like him, or worse, actually hates him. No matter how many times Patrick tries to reassure him there’s no possibility of that, David’s going to have that thought in the back of his mind. At least until he meets the Brewers, as scary as that sounds.

David leaves the diary room, intent on finding his boyfriend, but Patrick is already there, waiting for him on one of the couches.

“Want to study?” Patrick asks as he pulls David down to him for a kiss.

“Is that a euphemism?” David asks with a shimmy of his shoulders.

A blush spreads across Patrick’s cheeks, leading to the tips of ears. David could spend a lifetime causing that reaction and he still wouldn’t be tired of it.

“No,” Patrick replies with a shake of his head. “I just thought it might be useful in case the veto comp calls for remembering anything.”

David agrees and leads Patrick up the stairs to the chess board. Not all of their study sessions have taken place there, nor have their favorites—those happened under covers, rewarding each other for every correctly recalled memory. But it’s an easy spot to use when they want to keep their game knowledge to themselves, away from eavesdropping ears that could benefit.

“Start on day 1?” Patrick asks.

“Nothing happened. We can skip to day 2,” David tries to tell him.

Patrick scoffs in response. “Nothing happened? I met you. Pretty significant day in my life.”

This time it’s David’s turn to blush. “You’re ridiculous,” he says, but his smile gives away how pleased he is with Patrick’s reply.

They settle into their study session, quizzing each other on increasingly minute details. David’s lost count how many times since the beginning of the game, or even just his return the day before, that he’s thought how lucky he is. He thinks it again, unaware that across from him, Patrick’s thinking the same thing about himself.

*

David is the first one to be let out into the backyard for the veto competition. Seeing the large, fake laptop, he immediately knows which competition it is. “[BB Comics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GKgTbF8bdk),” he cheers. Walking farther into the backyard, he sees the large foam brick wall with a window in the middle of it, confirming his assessment. When production told him they’d play the veto competition one at a time, he hoped it was because they were finally playing BB Comics.

He knows he’s safe this week; there’s no way Patrick will ever nominate him and the likelihood of another secret game-changing power is low. As long as one of his alliance members wins, their targets will still be in those seats on Thursday night. And even if Ronnie or Ray were to win and take themself off the block, they’d have the votes to keep replacement nominee Ted safe. So there’s no _need_ for him to win this competition. But it’s BB Comics—another iconic Big Brother competition and one of his favorites. He _wants_ to win it.

There’s only one thing putting a damper on his excitement. He sighs as he looks at the platform he’ll have to climb on to and then zipline off of so he can look through the window. He hasn’t had the easiest time with heights since Anderson Cooper broke up with him while they were parasailing in the Seychelles. Being stuck up there with him for three hours until the wind died down is definitely one of his least favorite break-ups. He’s momentarily distracted by the thought that he may never have another break-up story again.

Taking the card off the nearby stand, David reads out the instructions. “BB Comics is about to release sixteen new superheroes. But the world can’t wait, so it’s your job to get the scoop on who they are. Here’s how the game works– hit the button to start your clock, then fly down the zipline to peek inside the BB Comics Studio. Grab the matching comic books from your bin and place them on your computer so it exactly matches the BB Comics Studio wall. But beware! Each comic has a decoy. When you think you have all sixteen correct, hit your button. If incorrect, a buzzer will sound. Your clock will keep running and you must figure out what is wrong. The player who matches the BB Comics Studio wall in the shortest time will win the Power of Veto.”

David’s watched too many past houseguests rush in without a plan and fail, but thankfully he knows exactly what strategy he wants to use. First, he’ll memorize the correct order of the comic books, and then compare the two versions of each comic book to match the correct cover to the one on the BB Comics Studio Wall. Hopefully whatever time he uses up going through everything carefully will actually save him from having to waste time later panicking over which covers he got wrong.

Hitting his buzzer to start his time, David runs to the platform and climbs the ladder. Without letting himself think about what’s about to come, he grabs the zipline and… shrieks all the way to the bottom. He allows himself a couple seconds to regroup, chastising himself for not even looking through the window. He knows his meticulous eye can win this for him as long as he can get over his fear.

He goes back again, this time forcing himself to pay attention. “Jake, Gwen, Ted, Miguel,” he says on a loop, rushing to the bin to grab both versions of each of the first four comic books. He puts them in order on the ground and then repeats the process until he has both rows of comic books laid out in front of him.

Confident they’re all in the correct order, he focuses on the two versions of Jake’s comic book. “The Hunk,” David reads off the name of Jake’s superhero. “He’s nobody’s ex and everybody’s ex.” The difference is easy to spot. On both, Jake’s wearing a blue plaid shirt, unbuttoned to reveal the black tank top underneath. His arms are open, but on one cover he’s holding a beer and on the other it’s a glass of whiskey in his hand.

David’s sure that he can check more than one cover at a time, so he moves on to Gwen’s. Hers labels her as ‘The Gwench’.

“This wench is out for blood—her ex’s blood,” David reads, laughing. After making note of the difference between the two covers—the color of her dress, he moves on to Ted’s comic.

At first it’s hard to see a difference between the two covers featuring Ted, dressed like the Terminator, as ‘The Puninator.’ But thankfully he’s watched enough of these competitions to know where to look next. The tagline on each cover varies slightly. “Beware! His puns kill,” David reads off the first before reading, “His puns are killer,” off the second.

Four covers seem like pushing it, so David runs back to the zipline. “Whiskey, green dress, puns kill,” he memorizes as he looks through the window on his decline back down. Quickly, he places the first three covers on the fake laptop, tossing the incorrect ones aside.

‘Dr. Miguel’ is next. Shirtless, he’s holding four puppies in his arms. David quickly notes the difference is the collar color on one of the puppies. Miguel definitely got off easy with this one. He looks good, really good. The same can’t be said for Bob, who’s next. ‘Bob the Sob’ is on his knees, pleading to a figure who is drowning in a pool of his tears. David assumes it’s Gwen because Bob’s tagline reads, “Gwen’s worst nightmare.”

After Bob is Alexis’, and David’s pretty sure she would love it. As the ‘Blonde Bombshell’, Alexis is flying, the ends of her long hair trailing off into a stream of flames. She’s in a classic superhero pose.

David makes another trip down the zipline, and then places the next three covers with the correct differences—a red collar for Miguel’s, Bob wearing a hat, and the tagline that says Alexis has her license to kill in _seven_ countries.

He’s pretty sure he’s making good time, but even though he’s almost halfway done, he tries to pace himself a little faster through the next set. ‘The Mutt’ is a horrifying hybrid of Mutt with dog ears and a tail, his beard even scruffier than usual. He’s brandishing a leash as a weapon. Ronnie as ‘Captain Cargo’ is just as intimidating as real life, standing with her arms crossed, lasers shooting out of her eyes. Twyla, or ‘The Pawn’, is the first comic on the bottom row. It features her as the pawn on a chess board.

David has to go down the zipline twice for this batch. Mutt’s difference—the leash is in his left hand—and Twyla’s—the king piece is advancing on her—are easy to spot. But he isn’t able to count the number of pockets on Ronnie’s cargo pants fast enough the first time. Hopefully the extra trip doesn’t cost him too much time.

David can’t help but laugh at the next comic—Rachel’s. As the ‘The Ball and Chain,’ she’s definitely portrayed as more of a supervillain than a superhero. She’s wearing a wrecking ball costume, and from her wrist extends a chain, ivy wrapped around it. The difference between the two covers is that the ivy chain goes left in one and right in the other. David’s pretty sure the correct cover is the one with the ivy chain leading to the right where Patrick’s comic is. Still, he notes it so he can confirm.

Next is Patrick, or ‘The Veto Victor’. He’s in his skimpy punishment outfit, throwing vetoes like ninja stars at the criminals surrounding him. David’s almost sad at how quickly he spots the difference; he’d like to stare at Patrick’s covers a little longer. Figuring out which cover to choose for Patrick means having to count the vetoes, and having learned from Ronnie’s pockets, he doesn’t want to risk moving on to the next cover yet. So instead, he heads back to the zipline.

After David places the correct covers for that set, he turns to analyze the next sets of covers. Stevie, named ‘The Third Wheel’ is aptly placed between Patrick and David’s comic books. He can’t wait to joke with Stevie over the cover. Big Brother has turned her into a giant wheel, her arms extending all the way to each side as if she’s holding back both David and Patrick’s covers.

After getting a closer look at his own comic, he decides teasing Stevie over hers probably isn’t a wise decision. Because his… Well, his is worse. Based on his knowledge of the show, he knew going into the competition that his comic would be based on his own punishment costume. When he put all of the covers in order, he of course saw that his assumption was correct. But now, studying the details of a cartoon version of himself wearing the BB cheerleader costume, the embarrassment is fully sinking in.

He moves on as quickly as possible, shifting his attention to Jocelyn. ‘The Mama Bear’ is another horrifying hybrid like her son. This time it’s Jocelyn as a bear, protecting a baby bear. “Nothing will keep her away from her cubs—not even $500k!” David reads. After Jocelyn, David only has two more comics left so he rushes to the zipline and back down again, filling in the laptop with three more comics. 

Ray’s comic is definitely the funniest one of all. As ‘The Door Destroyer,’ “no door can keep him out,” it claims. It shows Ray breaking through a door. Klair’s is last. ‘The Influencer,’ she’s taking a selfie, oblivious to the crime around her.

David makes his last trip down the zipline, places the correct covers for Ray and Klair, and hits his buzzer. He’s relieved to find out he has them all correct. He just hopes he didn’t take too long making sure he was picking the correct comics.

*

As she heads into the backyard for her turn, Stevie decides that this is her competition to win. So far, she’s only won a couple competitions to make sure she doesn’t look like too big of a threat. But it’s time to switch tactics. If she and David do end up in the final two like they’ve been planning—not that she’s even sure that’s what he still wants now that he’s with Patrick—she’s going to need to prove why she deserves to win over him.

He’ll have guaranteed votes from his sister and boyfriend in the jury, plus an impressive resume of competition wins including the battle back. She can’t rely on the hope that the rest of the jury members will be bitter about any involvement David had in getting them out the door. It’s time to prove that she deserves to win first place.

Stevie reads the instructions and decides her strategy will be to look at each comic, one at a time. After ziplining down once, she’s confident she can pick the correct first comic. It’s Jake, and after looking at his two covers, she picks up the one with him holding whiskey. She repeats the process for the next comic—Gwen’s—with ease. But she realizes the problem with her strategy when she gets to Ted and can’t pick the correct version. 

When she figures out the difference, she has no memory of which one was featured inside the BB Comics Studio, so she has to take another trip down the zipline. It causes her to lose a little confidence. Some of the comics are definitely going to be too tricky for just one trip. But if she’s having trouble, she’s sure everyone else must be, too.

When she gets to her comic, she’s a little more taken back than she cares to admit. She doesn’t want to go down in Big Brother history as a showmance’s third wheel. Together, David and Patrick have been dominating competitions. And the fact that she’s been part of making game decisions behind the scenes will mean nothing if she doesn’t start making moves in the open.

With a renewed focus, she picks up the pace, more determined than ever to win.

*****

Patrick’s never been as thankful for David’s Big Brother knowledge as he is when he sees the backyard is set up for the BB Comics veto competition. He already knows how the competition works thanks to David prepping him on all the classics. It’s a little daunting at first, needing to have all sixteen correct covers in the right order and finish the quickest. But he can hear David in his mind as he starts the timer, David’s tips guiding him.

They don’t _need_ to win this competition. Thankfully they’re in a really good position and none of their alliance is at risk of eviction. But they do need to make sure Ronnie doesn’t win. If the battle back competition had gone differently, David would be out of the game right now. Patrick’s not going to let Ronnie get away with that. She needs to be in the nomination chair on eviction night.

David should be the one to win the competition; it’s one of his favorites. But as much as Patrick knows that David is capable of winning this, his fear of heights could be a problem. David will have to push through that fear caused by Anderson Cooper’s very stupid decision to drop David from his life. Patrick’s pretty sure that if this week’s circus-themed HoH competition involved clowns, he wouldn’t have won, so he’s prepared to win this competition just in case David can’t.

Patrick makes it through the first half of the comic books easily enough. But he hits a rough patch once he gets to Rachel’s. Seeing her as a supervillain is hard, even if she did make things difficult for him and David for so long in the house. The sooner they can move past all of it the better as far as he’s concerned.

David’s comic is difficult, too, but for a completely different reason. David, ‘The BB Mascot,’ is in the cheerleader unitard that he wore as a punishment. “Fear the cheer,” Patrick reads, but that’s the last thing he feels looking at it. The picture of David is almost as good as the real thing. Normally hidden under sweaters, David’s muscles are on full display. Every detail, down to the scowl on his face is gorgeous.

The comic reminds Patrick of how hard it was to sneak around back then. He wanted nothing more than to show David just how much he appreciated the unitard. But between hiding their relationship, Patrick’s own punishment of being chained to Rachel for a day, and a lack of privacy, there weren’t enough opportunities. He’ll have to make up for it today and remind David how much he loved it, now that they can be open in front of everyone else and have the luxury of private time in the HoH room.

Realizing he’s wasting time just looking at David’s comic, Patrick forces himself to move on. He doesn’t need to check which of David’s covers is correct; he spent enough time watching David in the unitard to know the pom poms were blue and purple, not blue and white. He regrets that confidence, though, once he finishes and hits his buzzer to lock in his answers, only to find out he chose at least one incorrect comic.

Because David’s is the only comic he chose without looking, he focuses on it as he ziplines down. Confirming he fell for Big Brother’s trick, he quickly swaps out the comic and hits his buzzer again. If that mistake just cost him winning the veto to Ronnie, he’s not sure he even deserves the ‘Veto Victor’ moniker. 

*****

By the time production lets Ray know it’s turn, he’s had a lot of time to sit and think about the nominations. It doesn’t matter what Patrick says about his target. Ray’s not an idiot; he knows that if Ronnie can get herself off the block, he’ll be the one going home. When Patrick first told him his reasoning for nominating him, Ray understood. He didn’t like it, but he knew that it made sense.

If he’s honest, though, he’s really hurt with Patrick’s decision. He thought they were friends. He had the opportunity to put him up for eviction but, against Ronnie’s advice, didn’t! And this is how he repays the favor, putting him up instead of Stevie or Ted?

It’s no surprise that he didn’t nominate David. No, the surprise, Ray thinks, was on eviction night when the two revealed their relationship. Ronnie swears it hasn’t been a secret for weeks, but Ray really hopes that isn’t true. If it is, then what kind of friend is Patrick if he didn’t want to share that news with Ray? And if Patrick isn’t as good a friend as he thought, what is he going to do once Ronnie, his only remaining ally, is gone? It’s time for him to start playing to win and not to make friends.

Ray steps into the backyard, knowing that this could be an important competition for him to win. He’ll be happy as long as Ronnie doesn’t win. But maybe if he does, he can convince Stevie or Ted that aligning with him will benefit their game.

He reads the instructions aloud, skimming past the irrelevant information. “Okay, I just need to line them up in order. That’s easy enough!” 

Starting his timer, he runs to the platform. He can’t make out any of the comics on his descent back down, so he goes back up again. He’s winded when he’s done but he doesn’t stop, instead running to where all of the comic book covers are waiting for him. He locates the first five he saw, naming off each player as he places their comic on the large laptop. “Gwen, Jake, Bob, Ted, Miguel…”

He realizes they’re in the wrong order when he looks at the BB Comics Studio again, and after fixing them, he decides he needs to slow down a little to avoid any future mistakes. After he places all sixteen, stopping for a moment to appreciate how fun his comic is, he hits his buzzer.

_BUZZ_

He’s shocked when the noise lets him know he got something wrong. He compares them to the studio again, confirming everyone is in the correct order. Unsure of what’s wrong, he picks up the instruction card and reads it again, more carefully. “But beware! Each comic has a decoy,” he says, the realization sinking in. Looking back over at the discarded pile of comics, it hits them that they weren’t extras. He’s going to need to start all over.

*****

After Ted reads the instructions for the competition, he quickly decides that his strategy will be to go comic by comic. Mostly he just wants to jump to Alexis’ comic right away, but he’s pretty sure it’s a solid plan anyway. He starts his timer and locates the two versions of her comic, laying them on the ground to compare.

‘Blonde Bombshell’ is an understatement. She looks _amazing_ , like an actual superhero. Hopefully everyone else will see her like he does, an incredible one capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. He can’t wait until he’s able to see her again. Their brief embrace when she re-entered to compete in the battle back competition wasn’t enough.

Ted knows he can’t spend more time looking at Alexis’ comic, so he heads to the wall to see which version is correct and where he needs to place it. He moves on to his comic afterwards, excited to see how it looks. He likes seeing himself drawn like the terminator, and he’s pretty sure ‘The Puninator’ and ‘The Blonde Bombshell’ would make a _super_ team.

After placing his correct comic where it should go, he makes his way through the rest, enjoying how everyone is depicted. He stops after every one to take another look at Alexis. It’s nice to have something to look at other than her black and white photo on the memory wall. She’s gorgeous in that picture, of course, but he wants more of her. 

He saves Miguel’s comic for last, not looking forward to seeing a reminder of his rival. Any amusement he had over his own comic is gone when he sees ‘Dr. Miguel.’ 

Why is Miguel getting recognized as some kind of super vet instead of him? Ted’s the one who came on the show for his practice. And if his super power is supposed to be his veterinarian skills, why does he need to be shirtless? Why should the person who is performing surgery on your pet have to have a six pack? It’s filth. It’s… it’s disgusting.

He hurries through finishing Miguel’s, and stops at Alexis’ to murmur, “Miss you, Lex,” before hitting his buzzer to stop his time. He’s glad to finally be done, Miguel having found a way to sour the experience even though he’s not even in the house any longer.

*

Ronnie hits her buzzer to lock in her answers, satisfied when no sound goes off indicating that any are wrong. She’s confident she won and just secured her safety for this week. She better have, because she’s pretty sure there’s no way she can get Stevie or Ted to turn on David and Patrick.

Before she makes her way back into the house, she looks over the rows of comics she assembled. Too focused on finishing the task, she didn’t let herself enjoy any of them. She looks damn good in hers. Better than anyone else’s, if you ask her.

Ray’s is not only hilarious, but also accurate. In her mind she can already see where she’d like to place a framed copy in the town hall. Right on the wall across from her desk, so she has something entertaining to look at while she’s there for her town council shifts.

She’ll never admit it, but she’s a little teary-eyed as she looks over the covers of her fellow Jazzagals. Gwen was out of the game too soon, but her early game moves made her a big target. Ronnie’s sure she’s home getting a kick out of seeing herself as the ‘Gwench,’ though. Ideally, with Bob nowhere near her. Jocelyn’s comic fits her perfectly. Her friend’s choice to leave was right for her, but Ronnie still wishes it could’ve been different. And Twyla, sweet Twyla. She didn’t deserve to be sent home as a pawn. Ray should’ve listened to her that week.

As her eyes land on Rachel’s, she smirks. It’s a shame that’s all the girl will be remembered for, but hopefully the reminder of her antics in the house made Patrick squirm. Speaking of Patrick… She shifts her gaze to the next comic. She would’ve gone with turning him into a thumb like some kind of mutant the rest of the heroes need to destroy. But she has to admit, he has won an annoying amount of veto competitions. But not this one. She has this one in the bag.

*****

As HoH, Patrick stands next to the board with all their names in order of how they went for the competitions - David, Stevie, Patrick, Ray, Ted, and Ronnie. “Let’s see how everybody did,” he tells them. “Starting with David… you had a time of,” he adds before sliding the cover out of the slot to reveal his time, “11 minutes and 20 seconds. Wow.”

David’s eyebrows raise, impressed with his time, as is everyone else. They all clap before Patrick says, “Stevie, you finished with a time of…” before sliding the cover out and revealing, “17 minutes and 28 seconds. Sorry, that’s not enough time to beat David who remains in the lead. I was next, and I finished with a time of…” he slides his cover out and reveals his time, “12 minutes and 5 seconds. David remains in the lead.”

“Wow,” David mutters to himself, Stevie smirks at him and he can’t help but feel proud of his time. He just hopes the other three didn’t somehow do better since he just beat out his two closest allies.

“Ray, you finished with a time of…” Patrick moves on before revealing his time, “thirty minutes, meaning you timed out. Sorry, Ray.”

Ray shrugs it off, chuckling. He’s upset he timed out. He tried really hard in this competition, knowing that if Ronnie wins this, he will be going home. Now he just prays that David stays in the lead, that way the nominations stay the same and they’ll vote Ronnie out over him.

“Ted, you finished with a time of…” Patrick removes the cover out of the slot to reveal his time, “23 minutes and 48 seconds. Sorry, Ted, that’s not enough to beat David, who remains in the lead.”

“What happened?” David whispers to Ted who’s next to him. 

“Alexis,” Ted says back. David chuckles because that’s just so sweet and ridiculous. Ted smiles, shrugging. 

“Ronnie, you will have to beat David’s time of 11 minutes and 20 seconds to win the Power of Veto. You finished with a time of…” he says before removing the cover out of the slot and revealing her time. “12 minutes and 33 seconds. Sorry, Ronnie. That means congratulations, David. You have won the golden Power of Veto!”

David’s in shock, letting out a laugh of disbelief before he walks up to Patrick who places the veto necklace around his neck and hugs him. “You did it,” he says into his ear as he hugs him tight.

David laughs, hugging him back. He accepts hugs and congratulations from his housemates before they all move together to look at their comics before production allows them back inside.

*****

After David is crowned the winner and they are let back inside the house, they each have to do a diary entry before they can change or shower and do things to get themselves comfortable. They start with David then Patrick so once they’re both done they meet up in the HoH room where David is sulking. 

Patrick walks in and sees that he’s upset, but why? He just won the veto. “What’s wrong?” he asks him, coming to sit next to him on the edge of the bed.

David groans, “Nothing, I’m fine.”

“David…”

“I just won the veto, I’m okay, Patrick,” he says but he’s so unconvincing.

“David, just tell me,” he says, taking his hand into his and squeezing it.

David sighs. “I hated my comic and I know that’s so fucking lame to complain about like I just _won an iconic Big Brother competition_ but I just - yours was so good, calling you the veto king, and Alexis was a literal bombshell. Even Rachel’s where she’s like a supervillain was so much nicer than mine,” he groans. Patrick chuckles which makes David snap his eyes to him. “Are you seriously laughing right now?” he asks.

“David, I loved yours,” Patrick tells him. “It literally distracted me from the competition that I had to snap myself out of it and focus.”

David blushes. “Why - I mean, why did it make you distracted?”

Patrick smiles, knowing that David is fishing for compliments. He puts his hand on David’s knee and says, “Just seeing you in that unitard again… it brought me right back to week four when you had to wear it as a punishment for the entire week and it drove me wild. It was so - _tight_ and just,” his hand sliding up his leg as he leans his body forward to press against David’s side. He puts his lips right near David’s ear and says hotly, “I wanted you so badly - still do.”

David turns his head, his eyes dark with lust as he crashes their lips together, pulling his face in with his hands on either side of his face. Patrick kisses him back, sliding his tongue inside his mouth. His hand resting high on David’s thigh, his finger moving closer to the inside of his thigh. David parts his legs and _fuck_ \- they need to stop. Patrick pulls back, removing his hand from his leg. They breathe heavily as they stare at each other. “Cameras,” he says softly as the reason why he stopped.

David realizes, blushing, and it makes Patrick want to kiss him so he does, softly, a sweet little peck on the lips. He chuckles and says, “So um… yeah, I liked your comic.”

David laughs. “I see that,” he smirks. “Thank you, Patrick.”

“You’re welcome.”

David twists his mouth to the side, smiling shyly. He nods before standing and says, “I need a shower.”

“So do I,” Patrick notes. “You can use this one, I’ll go downstairs.”

“Or,” David cuts in. Patrick looks up at him expectantly. He blushes, “Um, we can both use this one…” 

Patrick smirks. “I like that idea.”

“Yeah?” David asks, his own smirk in place.

Patrick stands and he winks at David before walking towards the washroom. David is quick to follow him. Before they go inside, they remove their mic packs, leaving them behind.

There’s no camera that angles to the shower since it’s a clear glass door, so they have privacy for once. They make sure they have towels close by for once they’re done before both removing their shoes and anything else - leaving their competition clothes on - before stepping into the shower. They strip out of their clothes then toss them out of the shower before Patrick turns the water on. The shower is big - big enough for the two of them without feeling cramped. They stay out of the stream until it’s hot enough before both get under it. This is the first time they do this and the first time they see each other fully nude in the daylight. 

Seeing David’s naked body - it gets Patrick excited, especially with what just happened. David’s appreciating his body just as much as Patrick is appreciating his and they’re both hard. Their dicks are aching, wanting. They reach for each other, pressing against each other as they kiss. It’s messy and wet - so wet - and it feels amazing. Being pressed against each other like this fully, without fear of being caught or seen. Patrick feels David’s big, hard cock sliding against his and he moans into the kiss.

David’s hand slides down his back before he squeezes his ass, pulling him harder against him. “David…” he moans, breaking away from the kiss. David moves his lips down to his neck, teasing him lightly as his hand moves between them. He takes hold of both of their cocks in his big hand and slowly jerks them together. “Oh _ff- yes_.”

“You’re so sexy, Patrick, fuck,” David says as he watches Patrick lose it, his eyes screwed shut as he bites on his bottom lip. “This perfect cock,” he moans as he twists his wrist, “I can’t wait for you to fuck me with it.”

“ _Jesus, David_ ,” Patrick moans as his eyes open to see David watching him. He brings his hand to the back of David’s neck and pulls him into a kiss. It’s full of tongue just like he likes it. He slides his other hand around him to grab onto his ass before slipping a finger between his ass cheeks, pressing it against his hole.

“ _Umphh_ \- fuck, Patrick,” David moans against his lips. 

“I can’t wait to get inside you, I’ve never wanted to be with someone so badly in my life,” Patrick tells him. He presses his finger harder, breaching inside slightly. The water acts as a false lubricant. He pushes it further in as David moans, jerking them faster, harder. 

It doesn’t take much more before they’re both coming hard in David’s hand and all over their bodies, the water washing it away. 

They kiss softly, smiling into the kiss. “You’re really hot when you dirty talk, Mr. Brewer,” David says as he rests his forehead against Patrick’s, a small smirk on his face.

Patrick chuckles, blushing slightly. “So are you - like _really_ hot.”

David smiles before kissing him again. They finally take the shower they intended to take without any more distractions.

*****

Later, when they’ve all done their veto diary room entries, and they’re doing their own thing, David goes outside, hoping to be alone with hot cocoa that Ray made and sit watching the stars under a blanket. He slides the door open and sees Ted sitting there. He sighs but smiles when Ted smiles at him. He closes the door behind him and walks over to the sofas. He sits near Ted, close enough that they can chat but not too close. He takes the blanket that’s draped over the sofa and puts it over his legs, getting comfortable.

Ted doesn’t talk, which is strange but he also looks sad. “You okay, Ted?” he decides to ask him.

“Yeah - no, not really,” Ted sighs. “I’m upset about my comic.”

“How come?” David asks, confused. Out of all of them, he thought Ted’s was really well done and accurate to who he is. 

“It’s more that I’m upset that they made Miguel’s about being a vet when the reason I’m here is for my vet business…” Ted trails off. “I’m an animal lover, too!” he adds, referencing Miguel’s superhero’s tagline.

“Mmkay, that doesn’t sound like you think it does,” David replies. He waves off Ted’s look, then nods because he understands; he hated his too until he spoke to Patrick who made him feel better about it. “I actually loved yours,” he tells him.

“You did?”

“Mhm,” David hums. “It was so perfect for you. It had to do with your puns and -” he puts on a smile as he says, “those are funny.” He doesn’t necessarily think so but he wants Ted to feel better because he did genuinely like Ted’s comic - he looked good in it and it just _fit_ him so well.

“Those were genuine laughs?” Ted asks, hopeful.

“Yeah, most of them,” David says, nodding. 

Ted smiles and David can’t help but match it. “Thanks, David,” he says. 

“Of course,” David shrugs before sipping on his cocoa. 

They chat for a little while about the comics they did like and the ones they didn’t. Ted tells him how much he loved Alexis’s and how it distracted him a bit during the competition because of how beautiful she looked and how fitting her title was, _The Blonde Bombshell_. 

Ted then excuses himself to start getting ready for bed and as he enters the house, Patrick comes outside. He walks over to David and says, “Hey, was wondering where you were.”

David smiles up at him and says, “Found me.”

“Finally,” Patrick chuckles. “You ready for bed?” he asks, offering his hand to David.

“Mhm,” David nods as he takes Patrick’s hand. They head inside, hand in hand, and up to the HoH room where they finish up getting ready for bed before slipping into it, under the covers, and into each other’s arms. They’re exhausted from the veto competition so they kiss softly before whispering ‘goodnight’ and falling asleep, cuddled up together.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will David do with the PoV?  
> Another houseguest is sent packing and a new HoH is crowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!  
> We're finally winding down from this story, by the end of this chapter we have our final 5 so we're at the last leg of this fic. We've been working on this fic since June 2020, started posting it in July, and it is now January. Wow. It's been a long journey but it's been the best time ever. We've had so much fun working on this fic and we're so grateful that you all love it so much and are keeping up with it every week and leaving us such great comments. We appreciate you so much!  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 75**

Even though Ronnie wakes up the morning of the veto ceremony knowing that there’s no possibility of David using it, she’s not willing to accept that she’s at the end of her game. Just because she’ll still be a nominee at the end of the day doesn’t mean she’s guaranteed to leave on Thursday night. She’s going to latch on to whatever small chance of surviving eviction that she can. She’ll need two votes to stay—David’s friend and his sister’s showmance. It’ll be difficult, very difficult, but not impossible. 

Ted’s the obvious outlier of the group. If he’s smart, he’ll know the only chance he has of winning is turning on David and company before they can turn on him. Stevie won’t be as easy, but Ronnie’s hoping a part of her was bothered by her comic book and took the nickname to heart. If Ronnie can drive a wedge between David, Patrick, and their third wheel, she might have a fighting chance.

She gets ready for the day, practicing in her head what she can say to Ted and Stevie to potentially change their votes. Ray interrupts her three separate times, seemingly not at all bothered by the fact that he won’t be coming off the block today either. But why should he be, she thinks bitterly. He knows he’s not the target. At least she doesn’t have to worry about him campaigning for votes too. 

When Ray interrupts her for the fourth time, she gives up and follows him out to the kitchen where everyone is having breakfast.

“I made pancakes,” Ray says cheerfully. “Plenty left.”

“Thanks, Ray.” Ronnie grabs a plate and starts to load it up. “Someone wanna pass the syrup, please?”

Patrick hands it over without looking at her. In fact, no one except Ray, she notes, has made eye contact with her since she entered the room. David and Patrick quickly finish up and leave the room, Stevie following soon after.

“Was it something I said?” Ronnie asks dryly.

Ted offers her a sympathetic smile as he, too, gets up to leave. “I think we just all feel bad about the veto ceremony.”

Ronnie sighs and pushes her plate away, having lost her appetite. If everyone feels too awkward to even eat breakfast with her, she might have an even harder time than she thought flipping the vote.

*

“It’s time for the Power of Veto ceremony,” David tells his few housemates before heading back inside. Ronnie and Ray take their seats on the nomination chairs as Patrick, Stevie, and Ted spread out on the other two sofas. David stands at the front of the room, in front of the PoV box. He addresses his housemates, “This is the Power of Veto ceremony. Ronnie and Ray have been nominated for eviction but I have the power to veto one of the nominations. I’d like to give you both a chance to tell me why I should use the veto to save you. Ray, you can start.”

Ray stands and smiles at David. “David, congratulations again on an impressive win, it was very much deserved. I’d love for you to use the veto to save me but I have no doubt you have already made your choice. I respect your decision either way,” he tells him before sitting back down. 

David nods at Ray before saying, “Ronnie.”

She stands and says, “Like Ray said, I don’t have a doubt that you already know what you’re going to do, which won’t be to save me considering I put you up last week and you left. You did come back, and I never intended for you to leave, if that makes any difference. You’re an incredible player and I respect your decision either way.” 

Once she’s seated, David says, “Thank you both. This decision wasn’t hard to make and it’s purely from a game standpoint, so I have decided not to use the Power of Veto.” He removes the veto necklace from his neck and puts it into the box as he says, “This veto meeting is adjourned,” before closing the lid of the box. He picks it up and walks it to the storage room as the rest of them hug like they’re supposed to.

*

Once Ronnie decides she’s waited long enough to put her plan into action, she figures she should try to talk to Ted first. If she can’t even convince him, there’s no point in trying to talk to Stevie. She finds him outside, working out with weights. “Hey,” she gets his attention as she walks up to him.

“Hey, Ronnie!” Ted puts the weights down and picks up his discarded t-shirt, wiping himself off with it to Ronnie’s disgust. “What’s up?”

“I was hoping for a TED Talk,” Ronnie replies, having to force herself not to grimace at the pun. His large smile in response tells her it was worth it, even if it felt wrong coming out of her mouth.

“Great one, Ronnie! I’m going to have to steal it.” He nods his head towards the couches. “Is this something we should sit down for?”

“Yeah, I wanted to talk about your vote.”

Ted frowns apologetically. “I figured. Listen, Ronnie–”

“–Just let me plead my case?” she cuts him off as they take their seats. “What do you have to lose from hearing me out?”

He nods but doesn’t say anything, taking a drink from his water bottle instead. Ronnie knows he’s just being nice and letting her talk with no plans to actually listen. But hopefully something she says will get through to him.

“You’re a smart guy,” she starts off, hoping she’s read him correctly and is picking the right appeal. “You have to know how things are going to play out once Ray and I are gone. The four of you are going to have to turn on each other, and I don’t think I’m telling you anything you don’t already know by saying that you’ll be the first one gone.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Ted says, less confident than usual.

“David’s loyalties obviously lie with Patrick and Stevie. And they’re loyal to him and probably each other because of it,” Ronnie counters. “So where does that leave you? The first one out the door of your alliance.”

“We’re not all an alliance.”

Ronnie rolls her eyes at Ted’s protest when he looks away. Not _all_ in an alliance? Either he’s trying to pass off a dumb lie or he really doesn’t realize who his allies are closest to. “Your side of the house,” she says, not wanting to press it just yet. “Whatever you want to call it. After you four pick off me and Ray, you’ll be next.”

“You’re forgetting something.” Ted folds his arms across his chest, getting defensive at Ronnie’s assessment. “I could win HoH and get one of them out, or I could win veto and save myself.”

“True.” Ronnie shrugs. “But even if you did make it to the final two with one of them, do you really think you’d win? They’d have all the votes.”

“That’s not- that’s not true,” Ted argues. “I have Alexis and…” he trails off.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re putting all your eggs in that basket.” Ronnie makes a silent plea that she isn’t taking this too far before continuing. “I’m not saying your little showmance meant nothing, but do you really think she’d vote for you, who she barely knows, over her own brother?” When Ted doesn’t respond, she presses on. “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t already figure this all out on your own and try to make a move.”

Ted’s eyes meet hers, filled with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Ronnie leans back, knowing she’s finally piqued his interest. “I didn’t expect David to get evicted last week. There’s no way Stevie voted him out, so that leaves you as the second vote.”

“What does that have to do with anything? The choice was between David and Patrick. I had to vote out one of them.”

“And you picked David because you know he’s a threat to your game.” Ronnie smirks when Ted doesn’t try to deny it. “Just think about it, okay? If you keep me in the game, we can team up. You’ll be safe while they’re gunning for me, and I can help you start getting them out. And you’ll look a lot better sitting next to me on finale night. I haven’t made enough game moves to earn the respect and votes of the jury. But if you do make this huge move…” she trails off, winking.

Ted promises to think about everything she said, and Ronnie heads back into the house, hoping it was enough.

*

After leaving Ted, Ronnie wants to keep the momentum going and looks for Stevie. Finding her alone in her bedroom, Ronnie sits down on the bed next to her. When the younger woman merely raises her brows, waiting for Ronnie to start talking, Ronnie decides to cut to the chase. “I’m not going to BS you,” she says. “I think you should keep me.”

“Okay, I’ll bite.” Stevie sits up and turns to face Ronnie. “Why should I do that?”

“Because I can help you get rid of David and Patrick.”

Stevie scoffs. “No thanks. I’m good.”

Ronnie presses on. “So you want to be their third wheel until they finally toss you aside?”

“You don’t know–”

“–I know,” Ronnie cuts her off. “–that you were unfortunate enough to become friends with someone who formed a deeper connection to someone else. And I know that you deserve more than just being their third wheel.”

“Can you stop calling me that? It was a stupid comic.”

Ronnie smirks, knowing she’s hit a nerve. “Based on truth, though. C’mon, don’t bother pretending like you and David didn’t have some kind of deal going and then their showmance complicated things.”

“I haven’t heard why keeping you around will benefit me,” Stevie replies instead. “If they’re already going to toss me aside like you say, why would I want to upset them by keeping you?”

“Because I’ll continue to be their target,” Ronnie says easily, slipping into her rehearsed reasons. “And like I said, I can help you get rid of them. You know neither of them can make it to the final two. They’ve won too many competitions.”

A flash of something Ronnie can’t quite place takes over Stevie’s face, but is gone as quickly as it came, Stevie schooling her features.

“Imagine us as the final two,” Ronnie continues. “You’d beat me easily. Can you say the same if you were against David or Patrick?”

“So quick to count Ted out,” Stevie says with a smirk.

“He’s in the same boat as you.” Ronnie shrugs. If she’s lucky, maybe Stevie and Ted will share notes and realize the best thing for both of them is break free from David and Patrick now. “If you’re content with third place at most, go ahead and vote me out. But if you want to win, you know it’s time for you to make a big game move. One that the jury couldn’t deny is worth the 500k.”

“And stabbing my friends in their backs is going to secure their votes?”

“Friendships don’t win this game,” Ronnie counters. “Big moves do. You need to prove you’re playing to win.”

Stevie gives her a curt nod. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“I knew you were a smart girl.” Ronnie leaves the room not sure if she was successful with either Ted or Stevie, but at least she knows she’s done everything she can to try and save herself this week.

**DAY 76**

Patrick didn’t wake up planning to tempt fate, as David would call it. He did wake up aware of the day, of course, the excitement running through him, making him feel like every cell in his body is buzzing. It’s the same feeling he has every morning with David, heightened even more once a week. Usually the day is marked only by a cheeky “Happy weekiversary,” followed by a kiss, lest David launch a lecture about how incorrect Patrick is acting.

But today marks nine weeks since David’s birthday, and it shouldn’t be any different than eight weeks, really. Except that it is. Because for a brief period of time, it seemed like they’d be spending week nine apart, so Patrick appreciates the time he has with David even more than usual. 

Even so, Patrick didn’t plan to make any bigger deal than he has for the past two months. Or at least he didn’t until he was in the storage room and he couldn’t come up with a good enough reason to ignore the idea that formed when he saw the package of chocolate chips. 

He was sure it’d wouldn’t be too hard of a task at first; his own attempts at baking in the past have left room for improvement but he grew up watching his mom in the kitchen and he’s never cared about the end result as much as he does right now. That’s how he finds himself in the kitchen with the result of his overconfidence, wishing he could scrap the plan and pretend like he never had the idea in the first place. But he bribed Stevie to keep David busy, and he’s pretty sure she’ll never let him live it down if he doesn’t deliver at least something.

If he truly fails, which he might by the looks of the not quite right looking cookie dough he’s mixing, there’s a package of ready to bake chocolate chip cookies in the storage room fridge with his name on it. Patrick knows David will be more than happy with that, but he wants to do something special, put more effort in than that.

“Hey, Patrick!” Ray’s greeting breaks Patrick out of his concentration. “What’s that you’re making?”

“It’s supposed to be chocolate chip cookies.”

“Oh.” Ray winces. “That’s, um– _oh_.”

“Is it _that_ bad?” Patrick looks at the dough. Sure, the color’s off and it doesn’t feel like any cookie dough he’s ever had, but he thought maybe they’d still be edible after baking.

“That’s ambitious,” Ray says, avoiding the question by looking over the ingredients Patrick has on the counter. “No vanilla or baking powder? And only granulated sugar?”

“Are those important?” Patrick questions. He’s not even sure what other kind of sugar there is.

“We can make do without,” Ray replies brightly. “I can make them for you if you want.”

Patrick quickly rejects the offer. “I want to do it. I’m making them for David.” He ducks his head when he feels his face getting red.

Ray amends his offer. “I can talk you through it while you do all the work.”

Patrick lets out a sigh of relief. “Really? Thank you, Ray.”

“It’s no problem. I’m just going to throw this batch away.” Ray quickly snatches the bowl from Patrick’s hands and empties it into the trash. “David will love them. I promise.”

“I hope so. I really hope so.” 

*

Patrick asked Stevie to keep David busy for the afternoon - more like bribed him with not having to do any dishes or cooking for the next two weeks and some of the cookies he’s making for David - and away from the kitchen. This works out well for her because Stevie couldn’t bring herself to talk to David about her chat with Ronnie yesterday so it gives her an excuse to do it now. She knows she doesn’t _have_ to tell him - or Patrick - anything but she wants to. She just needed to sit on it for a while. She needed to make sure she had an unmuddled mind before bringing their conversation up to David. She needed to make sure with herself first that she didn’t have any of the concerns Ronnie mentioned. She does so she goes to find David as planned. She finds him outside already which is perfect. He’s sitting with his feet in the water at the pool talking with Ted. Stevie saw Ray and Patrick in the kitchen and Ronnie had been sitting upstairs by the chessboard by herself. She walks over to them and asks, “David, can we talk?”

He looks up at her, squinting from where his sunglasses aren’t covering his eyes. “Sure,” he says simply without moving.

“Privately,” she adds. Looking to Ted she says, “Sorry.”

“That’s cool, I was just about to head inside anyway,” Ted tells her. They both stand, Ted wrapping his towel around his wet swim trunks, and David following Stevie over to the sofa.

They sit facing each other - Stevie with her legs crossed completely and David with one lazily thrown over the other, his elbow up on the back of the sofa. With Ted inside and leaving them alone, Stevie starts with, “So Ronnie came to talk to me yesterday. Gave me her pitch.”

David’s head lifts up at that. “Oh,” he says. “Why - uh, why didn’t you mention it before?”

Stevie shrugs, “I mean it is a game,” she smirks. 

“Okay,” David rolls his eyes.

“Look, I don’t know - I just - needed to sit on it for a bit,” Stevie says. “I’m telling you now.”

“Are you?”

Stevie sighs. “Okay, so she may have put doubts in my head about me being the third wheel like that stupid fucking comic,” she admits. “I was already feeling like shit about it so she just kind of added fuel to it.”

David groans, “You’re not the third wheel… you know this. You’re the one who created our alliance,” he says in a hushed tone. 

“I know.” She shrugs one shoulder, looking down at her crossed legs, “I guess - since you and Patrick got together there’s always been this voice in the back of my mind telling me that you’ll take each other to final two and I’m an idiot for being in an alliance with a showmance.”

David sighs, reaching his hand out to touch her calf. “Hey,” he says, making her look up at him. “I told Patrick about our final two,” he whispers. 

That - that shocks Stevie, her eyes going wide. “Wait, really? When?”

“Before I got evicted. I wanted to be honest with him about it but then I came back and thought he’d be like upset with me or whatever even though he kept saying he didn’t mind,” David tells her.

“Is he?”

“Not even a little,” David rolls his eyes, making her chuckle. Typical Patrick. “He understands that we made our arrangement on day one and that I won’t break it. So whatever Ronnie told you is a bunch of shit because _you’re_ my number one in this house.”

Stevie smiles softly, rolling her eyes when David smiles back at her. “Better be,” she teases. 

David laughs, smacking her leg. “So are we okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not going to like vote to keep her or anything,” David needs to be sure.

Stevie wants to make him worry for shits and giggles. “Maybe, I don’t know yet.”

“You’re honestly the _worst_. I take back all the nice things I said to you.”

“Too late,” she says before sticking her tongue out.

David grabs a small pillow that’s wedged under him and uses it to hit Stevie. She laughs, taking her own and retaliating until Big Brother tells them to stop. All that does is make them laugh even more.

She feels a lot better having spoken to David about her fears. Knowing that David still has her back one hundred percent, even before Patrick, means so much to her. She’ll only be proven right or wrong when it comes down to a choice David might have to make. She hopes he won’t let her down when that time comes.

*

Once their conversation drifts off, they sit in silence for a while until David gets bored. He stands up, stretching. “I need a drink. Want anything?”

“I can get it for you.”

David looks at her suspiciously. “Why?”

Stevie shrugs. “I feel bad about not talking to you about Ronnie earlier.”

He doesn’t believe her, but he doesn’t press her on it. “Well, I was also going to go to the bathroom, and you can’t do that for me. I’ll be back.”

Stevie opens her mouth to protest again, but David doesn’t stick around to hear what she has to say. As he’s walking into the house, he sees Patrick pull a baking sheet out of the oven. “Mmm, something smells good.” He takes a deep breath in. “What did Ray make?”

“Actually, I did.” Patrick grins and motions towards the baking sheet.

David makes his way to the counter, eager to see what Patrick is so proud of. “You baked?” It’s the last thing he expected. “But the two truths and a lie game. You said you can’t bake?”

“I can’t,” Patrick confirms. “And the first batch is proof of that. But then Ray talked me through it. I made everything, though. I know they don’t look the best. And they probably don’t taste it either, but…” He trails off, a smile growing on his face. 

David takes a closer look at the cookies. They’re shaped into what he thinks are supposed to be hearts, but the edges have spread a little too much. “You did this for me?”

“It’s just some cookies. They’re not a big deal,” Patrick plays it off.

David shakes his head. “First of all, cookies are always a big deal.” He wraps his arms around Patrick’s shoulders. “And second of all, I’ll admit I was jealous of Rachel when she mentioned that time you baked for her.”

“Didn’t she say she almost broke a tooth on them? That made you jealous?” Patrick raises his brows in disbelief. 

“It wasn’t that.” David pauses, not sure how to continue. But Patrick’s earnest expression convinces him to not hold back. “I was jealous of the memories you have with her. But we’re creating our own.”

“Yeah, we are.” A dopey grin grows on Patrick’s face. He leans in for a kiss.

“Kissing later,” David says, pulling away reluctantly. “I want cookies now.”

“Let me just put some aside for Stevie.”

“Okay, no one’s sharing the cookies.” David taps his hand gently to stop him.

“I promised Stevie some to keep you busy so I could surprise you.”

David scoffs. “She owed me a conversation, anyway.” At Patrick’s questioning gaze, David waves it off. “I’ll tell you later.”

Patrick picks up the cookies that most resembles a heart and doesn’t look too crispy. “Happy ninth weekiversary.”

“Thank you. No one’s done this for me before. I won’t even tell you how you’re tempting fate.”

“I think you just did,” Patrick teases. He holds out the cookie for David to take a bite. “Well?” he asks after David swallows.

What he told Patrick is true. No one he’s been with romantically has baked for him before, never put in such effort with him before. No one’s ever cared. No one until Patrick, who’s looking at him with such hope that he’s done something to make David happy.

“Perfect.” The cookies, Patrick, the memories they’re creating together— they’re all perfect.

**DAY 78**

“Good evening,” Moira says into the camera. “I’m television’s Moira Rose. Last week, we saw my dear David fight his way back into the house after being nominated beside his paramour Patrick and evicted. And alas! The power shifted back to the showmance when Patrick won Head of Household! Eager to avenge David’s temporary eviction, he set a target on Ronnie.”

Clips from the week play out on the screens behind Moira as she finishes her recap. “The Power of Veto competition saw the return of BB Comics, which David won, ensuring the power remained in his and Patrick’s hands. Who will go home tonight– Ronnie or Ray? We’ll find out later tonight. But first, let’s check in with the houseguests.”

The camera shifts focus to inside the house. Ronnie or Ray are sitting in the nomination chairs, Patrick and David next to each other on one couch, and Stevie and Ted take up the other.

“Hello, houseguests!” Moira says, appearing on the screen in front of them. She waits as they all say their hellos. “Pat, dear–”

“–We’re not doing Pat,” David tries to interrupt her, but she continues on.

“I think it’s fair to say you’ve had an emotional couple of weeks. You were on the block against David last week, watched him get evicted, and then were reunited with him. How are you doing?”

“Yeah, that’s a fair assessment.” Patrick reaches for David’s hand. “Last week was really hard, but I’m glad I was able to win this week so we didn’t have to worry about going through that again.”

“Now, I must say,” Moira changes the subject. “Your comics were all delightful. Who was everyone’s favorite?”

David and Patrick call out each other’s names, while Ted picks Alexis, and the remaining houseguests choose Ray.

Moira asks them a few more questions about the competition before saying, “I’m afraid that time has come. Ronnie, Ray, you both have thirty seconds to convince your fellow houseguests that you deserve to stay. Ronnie, you can go first.”

Ronnie stands and faces the couch Stevie and Ted are sitting on. “I hope you two have taken into consideration everything I said. Keeping me around is what’s truly best for your game this week and in the weeks to come. I hope you can see that.” She turns to Patrick and David. “You two have been great competitors,” she admits begrudgingly. “I’ve really enjoyed being here, and I hope I get to stay.”

Moira directs Ray to go once Ronnie sits down.

“Thank you, Moira,” he starts. “First of all, hello to my family in Winnipeg!” Addressing the houseguests, he says, “I don’t think there’s anything I really need to say. I’ll be sorry to see Ronnie go, but I hope you’ll all vote to keep me around for another week.” 

“Thank you both,” Moira says. “It’s time for the live vote and eviction. The two nominees are not allowed to vote, neither is the HoH. The rest of you will enter the diary room, one at a time, and cast your vote to evict. David, you’re up first. Please head to the diary room.”

Turning her attention to the audience, Moira says, “It will be quite a shock if David _doesn’t_ vote to evict Ronnie.” Once David’s in the diary room, she turns back to him. “Hello, David. Please cast your vote to evict.”

“She made a mistake evicting me,” David says. “I vote to evict Ronnie.”

Moira thanks him, and then tells the audience, “Ronnie campaigned hard to flip Stevie and Ted’s votes. Let’s see if she was successful.”

*

David crosses paths with Stevie as he leaves the diary room and she heads in to cast her vote. After their talk, he’s confident she feels secure in their partnership and isn’t going to change her vote. He’s not so sure about Ted, though. Ronnie’s speech implied she talked to both of them, but Ted never said anything. Not that it matters, his and Stevie’s votes are all they need.

He takes his seat beside his boyfriend, Patrick leaning in to rest his chin on David’s shoulder and murmur in his ear. “Much better than last week, huh?”

“That’s an understatement,” David mutters. He feels rather than hears Patrick’s silent chuckle in response. When Patrick moves away, he feels the loss, even though it was only inches.

Once Ted has come back from casting his vote, Moira comes back on screen. “The votes are in. When I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his or her belongings, and walk out the front door. By a unanimous vote, Ronnie you have been evicted.”

David waits while Ronnie hugs the others before coming up to him. 

“No hard feelings,” she tells him, leaning in for a hug. Surprisingly, she turns to Patrick next, offering him a hug as well.

They all gather at the door, hoping to catch a quick glimpse of the stage outside when Ronnie swings it open. They can’t see much, but the cheers from the audience is deafening. The group moves over to the memory wall, waiting for Ronnie’s picture to fade.

“And then there were five,” Stevie breaks the silence.

*

The final five are let out into the yard and see how it has been transformed for this HoH competition. Patrick goes to sit on a stool on the sideline because he cannot play. The others all take their spot behind their station. Everyone is given an identical station consisting of a long, narrow, and curved platform with several numbered slots of ascending value beneath it and a small box at the very end of the track. And they are each given two balls, one is yellow and the other is red.

Moira’s voice floats into the yard as she says, “It’s time for the Head of Household competition. Patrick, as outgoing HoH, you will not compete. This competition is called ‘Perfect Shot’ and it’s simple - make the perfect shot. You each have two balls - one yellow and one red. The yellow ball is intended to be used as a practice ball to let each of you figure out how to make the perfect shot. You can roll the yellow ball down the track as many times as you’d like. Once you are confident that you can make the shot, you will take your red ball and roll it down the track. You are only allowed to take one shot with the red ball. The goal of the competition is to successfully roll the ball down the track and get it into the box at the end. The first person to get their red ball into the box will become the next Head of Household. If everyone takes a shot with the red ball and misses the box, the first person to get their ball in the slot with the highest numerical value wins Head of Household. Does everyone understand?” 

“Yes!” 

“Let’s begin.” A buzzer sounds, letting them know they can start to roll their yellow practice ball down their ramp, aiming to get that perfect shot. There’s no time limit and they can practice with their yellow ball as much as they want. 

David wants to win this, or he needs one of his two allies to win. The only person who cannot win is Ray. He knows for sure he and Patrick will be up on the block together again if Ray wins this HoH. At least if Ted wins then Ray and Stevie go up and if Stevie wins Ray and Ted goes up. Either way, it keeps him and Patrick off of the block. He doesn’t want Stevie to go up either but they would have the votes to keep her. 

David rolls his yellow ball down his lane and it’s not nearly getting close enough to the box at the end. He notices that Stevie is in the same predicament as him. Ted seems to be doing alright with it and so does Ray with how he’s rolling his ball down his lane. 

He’s not sure how much time passes but he hears Moira say, “Ted has decided to roll his red ball.” The other three stop to watch as Ted rolls his red - and definite - ball down his lane. It doesn’t get into the box but he does get pretty close. 

David does not want to go next, he’s not ready. Stevie picks up her red ball and decides to make her final roll. It doesn’t land in the box and it’s not as far as where Ted landed. “Sorry, Stevie. So far, Ted is still in the lead,” Moira announces. Stevie goes to sit with Patrick as Ted stays near his lane, watching and waiting to see when Ray and David will go next.

Ray decides to go so he picks up his red ball and makes his shot down his lane. It lands in the box. _Fuck_. “Congratulations Ray, you landed your ball into the box. Sorry Ted, you have been eliminated. David, if you can also get your ball into the box then you will both try again to see who will be HoH. If not, Ray will be crowned the winner,” Moira tells him.

“Great, no pressure or anything,” he mutters to himself. He may as well go now. He rolls his ball down his lane but it doesn’t get into the box. 

“Sorry, David, you did not get your red ball into the box. Congratulations, Ray, you have won the Head of Household competition.”

“Oh goodie!” Ray cheers, jumping in place. He meets Patrick halfway who puts the key around his neck before telling him congratulations.

Patrick walks over to David with a soft smile on his face, calm and reassuring. He squeezes David’s arms before taking him into his. David hugs him back, pouting into his neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“It’s okay, you did your best,” Patrick whispers back, kissing his pouting face softly. “We’ll figure this out. We can do this.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the power shifting in the house, who will HoH, Ray, put up for eviction? And who will win the Power of Veto?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday everyone!  
> Thank you so much for continuing to follow us on this *long* journey, it means so much to us.  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 79**

David’s thankful that Ted and Stevie shared the other bedroom, leaving him and Patrick in their original bedroom together. Ray winning HoH last night was _not_ ideal. He was the _last_ person they wanted to win but there’s nothing they can do about it now. The only thing David is hoping for is that he and Patrick aren’t sitting next to each other on the block today but he knows that’s the most likely scenario to happen. 

Last night after Ray won HoH and they all did their diary room entries, Ray told them that he did not want to discuss nominations. He told them that since there are only four people that he could choose from, his decision was solely going to be based on game reasons and there wasn’t any need to have a conversation with anyone about it. They respected his decision and didn’t bother talking about nominations with him. This obviously led to David spiralling but thankfully Patrick was there to help him through it and to effectively keep his mind off of the game.That is until now.

Nominations are today and no matter who goes up, David is going to lose one of his allies this week - if he’s not the one who leaves. The best outcome would be for Ted to leave since he is in a final three with Patrick and Stevie since day one. His alliance with Ted came later in the game and though he knows his sister would love for him to try and keep Ted safe, his allegiance is to himself, his boyfriend, and his best friend. 

*

“This is the nomination ceremony,” Ray starts, standing at the front of the table in the kitchen, near the memory wall. David, Patrick, Stevie, and Ted all sit next to each other facing Ray. “It is my responsibility as HoH to nominate two people for eviction. I will turn two keys and the faces of the nominees will appear on the memory wall behind me. The first houseguest I have nominated for eviction is,” he says before turning the first key. Patrick’s face appears on the wall. “Patrick.” Patrick smiles softly, nodding, fully expecting it. David squeezes his hand where their intertwined hands rest on Patrick’s lap under the table. “The next houseguest I have nominated for eviction is-” he says before turning the last key. “David,” he finishes when David’s picture appears on the memory wall beneath Patrick’s. Now it’s Patrick who squeezes David’s hand. They look at each other with sad smiles. 

“I have nominated you both because well, I think it’s obvious why. You’re a power couple in this game, having both won so many competitions and managing to make it to the final five, even after having been eliminated and coming back. I respect you both so much as people and competitors. This is strictly a game move and I wish you both the best of luck in the Power of Veto. This nomination ceremony is adjourned,” Ray tells them before picking up the nomination key box and heading back for the storage room, leaving the rest of them to stand and hug each other. 

“It’s okay, we got this,” Patrick whispers into David’s ear when he hugs him tight, kissing him on the neck softly. 

“Yeah,” David says softly, hoping Patrick is right.

*

Ray heads up to his room after he’s done putting away the nomination key box. Stevie and Ted share an awkward glance, Ted shifting his weight from one foot to the other and Stevie opening her mouth to speak and closing it without saying anything a few times.

“We’ll just head outside,” Patrick says, saving her from having to come up with something to say. “C’mon, David.” He takes his boyfriend’s hand and leads him out to the backyard.

“This feels familiar,” David mutters humorlessly as they settle down on the couch.

The blanket they shared the night that David - when they were on the block together - told him about his final two with Stevie, is hanging off the back of the couch, so Patrick grabs it and smoothes it over their laps. “And yet we’re still here.” Patrick holds his hand out, palm facing up, on top of the blanket.

David reaches out for it before Patrick can even blink. “There won’t be another battle back this time. If one of us leaves, that’s it.”

“We didn’t know about the battle back,” Patrick reasons last time. “So as far as we knew, that was it. Everything we said last time still stands. It doesn’t matter what happens on eviction night. This–” he squeezes David’s hand, bringing it up to his lips. “This is what matters. And nothing is going to break this.”

“I know.” David sighs. “And weeks ago, I would have been freaking out about us having time apart. I still might. Historically, people I’m seeing having time away from me only leads to them liking it and wanting more of it, so…”

“Never going to happen,” Patrick promises.

“Okay, well you say that now,” David says, leaning in and resting his head on Patrick’s shoulder.

Patrick rests his head on David’s. “And I’ll say it every day.”

They sit there comfortably until the silence is broken by a loud, unfamiliar voice. “Don’t trust David!”

“Wha–” Patrick startles, standing up. “Was that– did it come from over the wall?”

“Don’t trust David!” the voice shouts again. “David can’t be trusted!”

“Oh my God.” David pulls on Patrick’s arm trying to get him to sit back down, but Patrick resists, still looking around the backyard bewildered. “Patrick, I don’t know what that’s about. I swear.”

David’s panic snaps Patrick out of it, and he sits back down. “Hey, it’s okay. I trust you completely. Nothing’s going to change that.”

Before Patrick can try to calm him any further, production tells them that the backyard is closed and they have to return inside immediately.

Stevie, Ted, and Ray are all gathered by the door when they enter. “What was that about?” Stevie asks. “Why can’t we go outside?”

“There was a wall yeller,” David answers, not quite making eye contact with her.

“A wall yeller?” Stevie asks, her brow knitted. “What the hell is that?”

“A fan who finds where we are and,” David makes a hand gesture. “You know, yells over the wall.”

“What did they say?”

Patrick answers Ted’s question before David has a chance. “It was a Ronnie fan saying she should’ve won,” he says smoothly. “We’re just going to continue our talk in the bedroom.”

Stevie looks like she wants to ask a follow up question, but the look Patrick throws her way stops her.

“Why do you think they said that?” David asks once they’re in their bedroom, huddled under the covers on their bed, blocking out the rest of the house.

“I don’t know,” Patrick says honestly. “Obviously you’ve done nothing untrustworthy. Maybe they just want to shake up the game? They could be rooting for someone else.”

“I have done one thing.” David winces. “Ted thinks I– we have his back.”

“Shit,” Patrick says, the rare curse word slipping out of his mouth almost enough to distract David. “Yeah, that makes sense. At least it was just us outside.”

“What if it happens again? What if someone else hears it?”

Patrick pulls David into his arms. “We’ll play it off as Ronnie’s fan being angry.”

“You mean her imaginary fan? That was quick thinking. Good job.”

“I had the right motivation.” Patrick wiggles his eyebrows, getting David to laugh. “How about we put this alone time to good use?”

“I think that can happen with the right motivation,” David teases.

“Challenge accepted.”

*

When David and Patrick feel ready to rejoin the rest of their housemates, they find the three of them in the kitchen, emptying out all of the cereal boxes.

“What’s going on here?” David asks, waving his arms at the mess they’re making.

Ted holds up a bag of Frosted Flakes after he takes it out of the box. “We’re cereal-ously bored and made up a game.”

“I don’t even want to know,” David says, shaking his head.

But Patrick, watching Ray line up the boxes on the floor, gets excited realizing what they created. “Bowling? Fun?”

David shudders. “Bowling? Fun?” he questions, repeating Patrick with much less enthusiasm.

“What else is there to do?” Patrick asks. He grins at David’s response of wiggling his eyebrows, and nudges him with his shoulder. “I promise you’ll have fun.” He lowers his voice so only David can hear. “Pretend like the boxes have someone’s face on it.”

Ray takes his turn first, choosing a grapefruit as his bowling ball. His first roll goes too far to the side.

“Gutter ball!” Patrick calls out cheerfully.

Ray takes down three boxes with his second roll, and after nearly immediately forgetting his score, Stevie dumps all of the Cheerios out on the table. “We can keep score with these.” She pushes three in front of an empty chair. “That’s your pile, Ray.”

Ted goes next, getting half of them down on his first roll, but only getting another two on his second. Between Stevie’s two rolls, she knocks down four. Patrick gets a spare on his turn before tossing the grapefruit to David with a wink.

David catches it, not as smoothly as he’d like, but Patrick’s smile doesn’t falter. Standing in place, he looks at the boxes and takes Patrick’s advice. The box standing by itself in the front row has a smiling sun holding two scoops of raisins out. David imagines it with Ray’s face, replacing the scoops with a veto, as if Ray has just won tomorrow’s veto competition.

He continues for every box, starting with the people who tried to ruin his game in the house. The red headed leprechaun becomes Rachel, smirking after replacing his nominations with Alexis and Stevie, Ronnie’s face replaces the tiger’s. When he’s done, he moves on to people from his past. He pictures the toucan’s large beak on his pre-teen girlfriend’s face. He may not regret his nose job, but her comments that lead to it will always haunt him. Eli, the business manager who sucked David’s family dry of everything, is the perfect stand-in for Count Chocula. And he pictures the Rice Krispies trio as his bastard ex Sebastian and the couple he found him in bed with.

Even if Patrick’s advice doesn’t help him win, it’s definitely therapeutic before he even tries to knock them down. He pulls back his arm to aim and then releases it forward, watching as it knocks down one box, three boxes, six boxes–

“STRIKE!” Patrick pulls David in for a victory kiss. “That was incredible.”

“It’s still only the first turn,” David says bashfully. “And your advice helped.”

Patrick winks as he walks away to help set the boxes back up again.

“Nice job,” Stevie compliments him when he comes to her for his Cheerios to keep score. 

Eventually, they become bored of their new game and call it quits. As the winner, David gets out of helping cook dinner, and Stevie, crowned the loser, gets put on dishwashing duty.

“I guess you’re better at bowling drunk, huh?” David teases her about the veto competition she won, bowling dizzy after spinning around.

“Shut up. Who knew you were such a jock? Going to join Patrick’s little league team?”

“Little league is for kids,” Patrick interrupts their conversation, taking the seat next to David. “So thanks for that. But the image of David in a baseball uniform is something I can get behind.”

“Ew, imagine?” David scoffs. “No thank you. I’ll leave that all to you.”

Patrick leans in for a kiss, causing Stevie to make fake gagging noises and announce her departure.

“Ignore her.” David pulls Patrick in closer. “Where’s my prize for winning?”

“You don’t have to make dinner,” Patrick says coyly. “You want even more?”

David only pouts in response, making his boyfriend chuckle.

“Maybe I can think of a prize worthy of that extraordinary feat of athleticism.” He captures David’s lips with his own.

David melts into the kiss, forgetting everything but how right everything feels in that moment.

**DAY 80**

David pulls Patrick and Stevie into the storage room before the PoV competition. “Okay so if we can try to throw this competition to Stevie, that would help all three of us stay this week,” he tells them.

Patrick looks at him nervously. He told him they _need_ to try and win the competition and not to throw it but David isn’t having any of that. “But if one of us can win, we need to still try,” he tries.

“Obviously, but the best case is for _Stevie_ to win because if not, she will be the replacement nominee,” David tells them.

“Gee thanks,” she rolls her eyes. 

David scoffs. “Like you didn’t already know this.” He’s got her there. “Look, if we can throw this we have to do it. Stevie wins, she pulls one of us off and Ted unfortunately goes up. The two of us who are safe control the vote and get rid of him.”

“You’re right,” Patrick sighs. He doesn’t want to throw the competition, every instinct telling him to win or have David win but David’s right. The best case scenario is for Stevie to win.

*

The five houseguests walk out into the yard and see the yard set up like a [lab experiment](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTYIhWERwi8). David knows exactly what competition this is and it can be easy for them to throw it to Stevie if either of them is in the end with her. 

Each houseguest steps into their stand. They are each separated so they cannot see each other. They are dressed in lab coats and goggles. In front of them they have a chemistry set - beakers and different types of solutions in test tubes. 

Because there is no one to host the competition, they hear Moira’s voice over the speakers explaining the competition. “This competition is called ‘BB Blast’ and here’s how it works. In each round, you will be shown a sequence of colored chemicals that match the test tubes on your desk. You will then take a pop quiz and be instructed to pour a specific colored chemical into your flask. So pay attention because if you pour the correct chemical, you will advance to the next round. If you pour the incorrect chemical, your experiment will go horribly wrong, eliminating you from the game. The last houseguest remaining will win the golden Power of Veto. Are you ready to play ‘BB Blast’?”

The five houseguests clap, all agreeing that they are ready. “Round one, the first scent is ‘Booya Berry’,” Moira announces before the screen starts showing different colors. 

Stevie needs to pay attention, her alliance is counting on her to win this. If the three of them can beat out Ted and Ray, David and Patrick just need to throw it and she will become the winner, effectively saving all three of them this week.

The colors go by, orange, red, purple, green, red, before the screen and Moira say, “Pour the third chemical shown.”

Stevie remembers it was purple so she picks up her purple test tube. They all wait until Moira tells them to pour their colored test tube into their flask.

“The correct answer was purple,” Moira announces after a few moments. “Everyone is correct, everyone moves onto the next round. Round two… the next scent is ‘Chill Pill Pine’.” 

David sees the colors go by on the screen: purple, red, green, orange, blue, red. Moira announces what the screen says next, “Pour the solid color chemical that was not shown.” David’s strategy in this competition is to remember the first letter of each color shown, so this round it was P, R, G, O, B, R. The only color not shown that’s on his desk was Y - yellow, so he picks up his yellow test tube. 

Moira tells them to pour their chosen chemical into their flasks and then to take a smell to see if they are correct. They hear an explosion and David’s just praying it wasn’t Stevie or Patrick. “That was so loud,” he comments. 

“Sorry, Ted, you have been eliminated,” Moira announces. David feels bad for smiling but this just means he and his closest allies are one step closer to winning this. Also, knowing Ted is most likely covered in yellow paint is making him giggle.

Ted shakes his head, pissed that he already screwed up this competition and now can easily be the replacement nominee if anyone other than Ray wins. He stands there and feels awful for rooting for Ray to win but he has no choice, he needs to stay this week, he came here for a reason and he won’t quit so easily.

“Round three,” Moira announces. “The next scent is ‘Banging Kiwi’.”

Patrick watches as the colors go by but he can’t seem to retain the information for long because they go by so quickly. He tries to come up with a strategy for remembering the colors but there’s nothing he can think of since they go by so quickly. “Pour the chemical immediately after the blue chemical,” Moira tells them.

He looks at his test tubes and can’t remember if it was the green or the red. He remembers seeing both of those colors near the blue but can’t remember which came before and which came after. He picks up the red test tube and hopes for the best. Moira tells them to pour their chemical into their flask and take a smell. Patrick waits, thinking he might have gotten it right. That is until green paint comes exploding out around him, covering him in it. “Dammit,” he mutters after wiping it off of his mouth. 

“Sorry Patrick, the correct answer was green. You have been eliminated from the competition. Ray, David, and Stevie, you all move onto the next round,” Moira announces.

“ _Fuck_ ,” David mutters to himself. They just need to beat out Ray then David can throw the competition to Stevie. He just hopes she doesn’t fuck up in this next round.

“Round four… the next scent is ‘Peach’,” Moira tells them before the screen starts listing colors.

Stevie watches as the colors go by: red, blue with white, red with white, blue with black. “Oh damn,” she whispers to herself. She repeats the colors in her head before she sees the screen and Moira says, “Pour the first striped chemical shown.”

Stevie remembers the first one was blue with white so she looks for the test tube that’s blue and has a white sticker around the middle of it. Moira tells them to pour their chemical into the flask and take a smell. Stevie pours it and waits, hoping she and David got this one right. 

There’s a pause before a big explosion sounds before she hears Ray yelp. “Yes,” she mutters to herself, dancing happily. 

“Sorry, Ray, the correct answer was blue with white, which means you have been eliminated. It is now down to Stevie and David, one of you will win the Power of Veto,” Moira announces.

David jumps up and down a couple times, so happy that they managed to pull this off. Now he just needs to throw this next round, letting Stevie win the Power of Veto. 

“Round five… the next scent is ‘Trippin Tea’,” Moira announces before they look at the screen seeing the colors go by.

Stevie needs to win this so she makes sure to pay attention to the screen. Green with white, orange with white, red with white, purple with white, and yellow with white. “Pour the middle chemical of sequence,” Moira tells them. 

Stevie repeats them in her head: _green, orange, red, purple, yellow_. She picks up the red test tube that has white around the middle of it. 

David knows the correct one is red with white but he picks up the green with white test tube. Moira tells them to pour their chemical into their flask and take a sniff. 

David braces himself, knowing he’s going to get hit with red paint any minute. The explosion sound is loud as paint comes flying at him. David covered his face, minimizing the splatter against him since he knew it was coming.

“Sorry, David, the correct answer was red with white, which means congratulations Stevie, you have won the golden Power of Veto!” Moira announces.

Stevie cheers as she leaves her stand to go grab the veto and put it around her own neck. She accepts congratulations from everyone and tries to avoid hugs from Patrick and David who are just trying to get her dirty too. 

They actually managed to pull this off and come Thursday, the three of them will be heading into the final four together and will be the only three competing for HoH. This couldn’t have worked out any better.

*

Once they’re allowed to clean up, Ray heads upstairs to his bathroom, and Ted asks the others if they mind him taking the first shower downstairs. 

“Of course, go ahead,” Patrick says, sharing a quick glance with David and Stevie. It’s hard not to be excited right now. The three of them are safe for another week. But Ted’s going to have to go home instead, and he’s probably aware of it by now.

“Does it make me a bad person to kind of be glad it’s Ted going home this week?” Stevie asks after he leaves.

“Instead of the two of us?” David asks. “I’m a little concerned you’re questioning that.”

Like David, Patrick made the same assumption about Stevie’s comment, but he catches her rolling her eyes and the realization hits him. “Instead of Ray, oh, yeah. That’s…”

“Bad?” Stevie finishes for him.

“Not quite,” Patrick shakes his head. “It did kind of really work out for us this week.”

Stevie shrugs. “I know the plan was to get rid of Ray this week and him winning HoH messed that up, but this is kind of better.”

Connecting the dots, David winces. “Poor Ted. But yeah, Ray is going to be less competition in the final four than Ted would’ve been.”

David reaches up to scratch his chin, his face wrinkling in disgust when his hand comes back with a paint smudge. “Okay, I need to get this off _now_ ,” he says, waving the dirtied hand around and motioning to his face.

“We can get some of it off in the sink,” Patrick suggests.

“Yeah, I’m not sticking around for you two giving each other a sponge bath.” Stevie gives them a mock salute before heading for the living room.

Patrick turns on the faucet, waiting for the water to warm. “I know it’s not in your usual color palette, but red looks good on you. Really good.”

David blushes, hoping the red paint is making it less obvious. “Well, it’s nice to see you in something other than blue,” he teases back. “You haven’t been green since Jake left the house.”

“Ha ha,” Patrick deadpans, but the corner of his lip turns upwards slightly. He grabs the paper toilet roll, but David holds out his hand to stop him.

“A paper towel?” David wrinkles his nose. “That’s too rough for my skin.”

“Do you want to be the one to interrupt what is possibly Ted crying in the shower to grab a face cloth?” At David’s head shake, he continues. “Didn’t think so. We’ll be extra attentive during your skin routine tonight, okay?”

“Fine,” David relents, removing his hand.

“I feel bad about Ted.” Patrick frowns as he carefully wipes away the paint around David’s face. “But Stevie’s right; we have a better chance of making it to the final three now.” He steps back slightly to assess his work. “I think that’s the best I can get.”

“Okay, I’ll do you now.” David motions for them to switch positions, ignoring the grin Patrick makes at his phrasing. He grabs a new paper towel, wetting it, and bringing it up to Patrick’s face. “He’ll be happy to be reunited with Alexis. I know that would soften the blow for me if I was evicted after you.”

Patrick murmurs his agreement as David steps away, finished with his task.

“Green really is a good color on you.”

“And you look good in red,” Patrick replies just as sincerely before stepping into David’s arms and dropping his voice. “Especially when that blush spreads across your entire body.”

“Water you doing?” Ted interrupts them. “The bathroom is free!”

Patrick sighs, stepping away from David. “You go ahead.” 

*

Ted sits quietly on the sofa outside, thinking, as he sips on the hot cocoa Ray made them. Ray’s gone off to bed, and Stevie and Patrick are playing pool with David watching. He knows what Stevie winning PoV means for him and he’s come to a decision. 

He waits patiently until their game ends and they disperse from the table. “Hey, you guys mind coming here for a minute?” he calls out to them. They nod, making their way over, each taking a seat on the sofa. He takes a deep breath before saying, “I just wanted to talk to you about what’s going to happen tomorrow with the PoV.”

“Ted…” David starts to say, his face showing all of his emotions.

Ted smiles at him. “Just - look, it’s okay. Stevie, I know you’re going to use the veto to save one of them, and if I won, I honestly would have done the same, so I don’t hold it against you. However, this means I will be going up, and I don’t expect either of you to go against each other meaning I will be leaving on Thursday,” he tells them, looking at their sad and somewhat guilty faces. “I just wanted to tell you guys that - I’ve had the best summer playing this game with you and I don’t want to make my last few days here sad or game related, let’s just have some fun.”

Patrick smiles at him, “Of course, we can definitely do that.”

“Yeah, totally,” David says, agreeing, as Stevie nods her head.

“Thanks guys,” Ted smiles, before sighing a breath of relief. “At this point, I’ve accepted my fate and I just - I’m excited to see Alexis.”

David smiles sweetly. “She’s going to be so excited to see you but also, like, really sad,” he tells him.

Ted chuckles. “She did whisper to me to go and win this thing so that’s true.”

“That’s sweet,” Patrick says. 

They all chat for a bit longer before they decide to get inside and ready for bed. Ted feels better having discussed that with them. He knows there is no point in campaigning against David or Patrick when whichever one of them comes off will vote to keep the other and if Stevie is going to save one of them then she would also be voting for the other to stay. At this point in the game, there aren’t many votes and he can see that those three have been working together for a long time - if not since the beginning of this game - and he’s not even mad about it. They’re amazing competitors and good people. All he can think about is seeing Alexis again and holding her in his arms.

*

Before Stevie heads to her bedroom that she shares with Ted, she goes into David and Patrick’s. They’re just settling into their bed when she enters, closing the door behind her.

“Uh what do you want?” David asks, confused, looking around like the answer is going to present itself.

“Rude much?” she says before sitting on the bed next to theirs. 

He rolls his eyes and Patrick asks, “What’s up, Stevie?”

“I just wanted to talk about what happened outside,” she tells them, crossing her legs under her.

“Oh my God, how depressing was that?” David says, a frown on his face.

“Yeah, I feel really bad,” Patrick adds.

“At least he’s self-aware?” Stevie says but it comes out like a question.

David snorts. “He’s getting to go to the jury - where there’s no rules and booze - _and_ see Alexis. He’s already won.”

“Okay so I guess you don’t feel _that_ bad,” Patrick teases. David pinches his leg making him giggle.

Stevie lays back against the headboard. “Speaking of winning - what are you gonna do if you win? Since _clearly_ two of us will be in the final 2.”

“Clearly,” David agrees.

“I’d probably just invest it,” Patrick tells her, making her pretend like she’s snoring.

David shares a look with Patrick before saying, “Um, well I would open my own store and call it _Rose Apothecary_. I’d sell local products under my brand - the store’s brand.”

“Why ‘Rose’? Is that like your last name or something?” Stevie asks him, turning her head to face him.

David swallows past a lump in his throat. “Um, yes, yeah it is,” he manages to say.

Stevie snorts. “Fans probably think you’re related to Moira.” David makes a face - he can’t help it, his face reacts before his brain has a chance to stop him - and she says, “Wait… are you related to Moira?”

David sighs. “Yes, she’s my mother,” he tells her. She gasps, sitting up and reaching over to smack his arm. He says, “Ow!”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?!” she asks, outraged. “Did you know?!” she asks, turning her attention on Patrick’s who’s unusually quiet for just hearing a big piece of news.

“I-” 

“You did, oh my God! You told Patrick but not me? Wow,” Stevie says, shaking her head.

“Would you, shh? I don’t need the others to find out,” he warns her, making her roll her eyes. “I told Patrtick because he’s my boyfriend and I couldn’t start out our relationship lying to him.”

“But you couldn’t tell your best friend?”

“Honestly… I thought you might slip up on an eviction night and ask her about me as a teenager or pre-nose job,” he tells her, making Patrick chuckle.

Stevie considers it and says, “That’s fair. I totally want to ask her about you pre-nose job now.”

David lifts his hand before putting it back down, “See?”

“Still - you should have told me,” Stevie tells him.

“And for that I am apologetic.”

“Fine,” she relents. “So how was it growing up with Moira as a mom?”

David sighs. “See this is why I didn’t tell you,” he tells her but she looks at him expectantly. “She wasn’t really around much, our bedrooms were in opposite wings of the house…” 

“Oh shit, wait,” Stevie realizes. “Your family lost everything.”

David grimaces, “I’m well aware, thanks so much.”

“Sorry - I just, wow,” she tells him. “So you, like, _need_ to win.”

David rolls his eyes. “And like you don’t?”

“Oh no I definitely do, I’m broke as shit,” she says quickly. “I just realized ’cause I remember hearing - anyway, doesn’t matter,” she adds when she sees the look on his face. “Um, good talk guys.” She stands before turning to look at them, “Promise, I won’t say anything.”

“Thank you,” David tells her.

She nods before heading for the door, closing it behind her when she leaves.

“Well, that went well,” Patrick teases.

David pushes his shoulder, laughing, “Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so if you're new to the bb world and don't know what a wall yeller is - there have been in the past, fans that would locate the set of the house and outside of the set that makes up the bb house, they would yell things to the players. mostly it would be incriminating things like not to trust a certain player or what someone was doing to someone else. production usually cuts in quickly, telling whoever is outside to go in but it's always such a huge thing in the house because often times someone is sitting outside and hears it. i hate wall yellers, it takes away from the integrity of the game since the players are supposed to be in the house not knowing anything from the outside nor know anything thats happening in the house with other people, so these fans who do this are shit disturbers. but yeah we still wanted to include it in our fic because it is something that happens on almost every newer season of the show.  
> ok bb history lesson over :p


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ted's fate sealed, they have some fun by putting on a show to help him enjoy his last few days. And who will become the next HoH and first houseguest to make it to the final three?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! This chapter was so fun to write and you'll see why ;P  
> We've included links into the story for you to help visualize better. Also, for the link for the HoH competition it only works in the US so if you're not from the US but want to see the HoH played out (it's a small clip) then you can use a VPN to do so.  
> Thank you so much, continuously, for all your love on this story.  
> We hope you enjoy this chapter! 💖

**DAY 81**

“It’s time for the Power of Veto Ceremony,” Stevie opens the door outside and calls out to the remaining houseguests.

They follow her to the living room, David and Patrick taking their seats in the nominee chairs and Ray and Ted each sitting on one of the couches.

“This is the Power of Veto Ceremony,” Stevie starts off, feeling a little weird. They’ve been doing this for months, but the formality of the ceremony feels like a little too much when it’s just the five of them, especially considering they all know how this is going to end. From his seat on the couch, Ted offers her a reassuring smile, and she makes the decision to have a little fun. Hopefully production won’t mind if she goes off script a little.

“David and Patrick have been nominated for eviction, but I have the power to veto one of the nominations,” she continues with a grin. “Here’s your chance to tell me why I should bother saving one of you.”

Patrick snickers in amusement, but David looks flustered and throws her an irritated look.

“Well?” she prompts them.

Patrick stands up first. “Thank you for the opportunity, Stevie.”

Stevie’s pleased that he appears to be gearing up to tease David, just like she was hoping for. Although David was her first and closest friendship in the house, she’s glad to have also met Patrick, especially during times like now when they can team up against David.

“I think I can offer you a lot–,” Patrick continues. “–including some of my bathroom time, which I think we both know my fellow nominee cannot say himself. I’d also be willing to do your laundry for you, which trust me, you don’t want to risk handing off to a certain someone else.”

“That shirt looks better now,” David mutters under his breath.

“I look forward to all of the texts we’re going to exchange between just the two of us once we’re out of the house,” Patrick concludes.

“Oof, good luck, David. That’s going to be a hard act to follow.” Stevie motions for David to stand for his turn.

“First of all,” David says, waving a hand between Stevie and Patrick. “I wish the two of you had never met.”

“Look at his face!”

“Look at your face,” David snaps back at Stevie. “Second of all,” he continues, gritting his teeth. “This would be where I would say something sweet to you, Stevie, but I don’t think you deserve that right now.” With a glare at Patrick he adds, “And it’d also be where I say something about how awful being on the block with you is because I don’t want to say goodbye to you, but I’m not sure you deserve it either. And you’re not allowed to start a text chain without me.”

“In that case,” Stevie says once David sits back down. “I’m going to use the veto on Patr–” She smirks. “–ick’s boyfriend David,” she finishes, holding the veto necklace out to David, which he accepts before taking a seat beside Ted on the couch.

Patrick winks at David, who fails to fight off a smile in response.

“Sorry, Ray, but because I vetoed one of your nominations, you’ll need to name a replacement nominee.” She clears her throat awkwardly, her amusement fading away as tries to avoid looking at Ted.

Ray gets up, leaving his seat on the couch open for Stevie, and smiles apologetically at Ted. “You’re the only option, Ted. I’m very sorry.”

“S’okay,” Ted waves off Ray’s apology. “ _Alpaca_ my bags!” he says cheerfully, taking the seat next to Patrick.

Stevie adjourns the meeting, and everyone hugs each other, Ted reassuring them once again that he’s okay and doesn’t want his last days in the house to be sad.

*

With the Power of Veto ceremony finished - the outcome was what everyone expected to happen - the five houseguests are now just hanging out together outside in the shade. 

“We should do something fun,” David tells them.

“I’m up for fun,” Ted perks up. “What did you have in mind?”

“Oh I don’t -” David starts to say, shaking his head, he didn’t think that far ahead.

Patrick saves him by saying, “Why don’t we put on a play or like a performance.”

“That sounds like fun, Patrick!” Ray agrees.

“I don’t know any plays but I have always wanted to try drag,” Ted announces.

David’s head whips around looking at him. “Seriously?!”

Ted nods. “Yeah, I’m a big fan of Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” he tells them.

“Wow, I would not have guessed that but that’s really progressive of you, Ted,” David commends him. 

“I’m particularly curious about the tucking process,” Ted says, making David almost choke on his saliva.

“Oh so am I,” Ray pipes in. “I too, am a big fan of drag race. I love the lip sync battles.”

“I mean, I can do all our makeup,” David tells them. “My mom used to make me do hers, she taught me at a young age.”

“Yeah, I’m not doing this,” Stevie tells them.

David rolls his eyes. “Obviously. You will be the judge.”

“Oh then yes let’s do a drag show,” Stevie says very enthusiastically.

“What would we wear?” Patrick asks.

They all consider this before David says, “Let’s just go ask production.”

The five of them get up and decide to head into the DR together, actually getting the access to do so. David sits on the couch with Ted while the other three crouch down near them before David asks, “Hi, yeah, can we get four gowns for us four fully grown men?”

“Please,” Patrick adds.

“Yeah, please. Sorry. Um, Ted - well, _we_ want to have a fun last few days and want to do some drag so if we can please have some choices in gowns or like any outfits you may have that could fit the four of us,” David tries again. “Oh, and obviously some wigs and some makeup?”

“We’ll do our best,” one of the producers tells them and they all squee with excitement. “While you’re in here…”

The five of them do a diary entry together to talk about what they will be doing shortly. David knows the only reason they agreed to let them do this is because it’ll make for good TV and will keep the live feeders entertained as well as keep them happy so they don’t go bother production with any other inane requests. David also asks them about music for the lip sync battle part and they’re able to approve one song for them and will leave that choice on a card with their stuff in the storage room when it’s ready.

*

After an hour of waiting around, production leaves some gowns and various other accessories in the storage room on a rack for them. They also left them a literal suitcase of makeup. David eyes the cheap stuff but he’s gotta work with what they have. He sees the note that says the name of the song that got approved for them to lip sync to next to a small tape recorder. 

“So our song to lip sync to is…” David tells them before opening the card. “Hero by Mariah Carey. _Fuck yes_!”

“Ohhhh this is going to be good,” Ray says, excitedly. 

Patrick picks up the recorder and hits play. The song starts playing but it’s edited down to only 90 seconds and most of it is from the middle to end of the song where it gets really vocal-y so they could give a good performance. 

“This is going to be so much fun,” Ted says once the song ends. 

David picks up the makeup case and takes the recorder as Patrick rolls out the rack of outfits, Ted and Ray grab the selection of wigs, and Stevie helps by bringing the different selection of shoes and boots to the washroom so they can get to work. 

David can’t help but wish he had access to his mothers wigs - she has the _best_ stuff. They bring all that they received to the washroom. Stevie has been confined to the outside so she cannot see anything before they have their completed looks. 

The men shaved their faces while they were waiting for everything so David is ready to do them up. He starts with Ted since this was his suggestion. Patrick and Ray sifting through the outfits. David has the makeup case laid out next to him on the sofa with Ted in front of him as he starts. 

“So what’s everyone thinking for their drag names?” David asks the room. 

“Drag names?” Patrick asks, confused. 

“Yeah, everyone needs a name to go with their persona,” Ted says.

“Mine would be _Sugar and Spice_ ,” Ray tells them with his ever present grin. “Because I’m sweet like sugar and well, spice because I’m Indian.”

“That’s a good one!” Ted tells him, trying not to move as David does his makeup. 

“Thank you, Ted!”

“Mine would be _Moira Rosé_ , because - um, I’m a big fan of Moira Rose, obviously,” he says, realizing and covering it up quickly. He shares a look with Patrick before adding, “And because I like the wine, not the label.”

“Oh! That is clever, David. Rosé instead of Rose,” Ray tells him. “I don’t get the last part though.”

“Because of my sexuality…” he trails off but they aren’t picking up what he’s putting down. He knows Patrick knows but that’s because he’s explained it to him already. “I’m pansexual,” he says. “I like the person, not their gender. So like wine, I like the wine and not the label.”

“I get it,” Ted tells him. “That’s a great metaphor.”

“Um thanks.”

“Oh!” Ray says, startling David slightly. “I think I might be pansexual because that makes a lot of sense, David.”

David smiles at him softly. “I’m glad I could help, Ray.”

Ray smiles, turning back to the outfits. David smiles at Patrick who catches his eye before turning back to continue on Ted.

“Ted, what would your drag queen name be?” Patrick asks, walking over to watch as the process.

Ted smiles and David stops so Ted can look at them while he says, “Mine would be _Miss Paws Itivity_.”

David tries not to make a face so he just chuckles, nodding his head. “Mhm.”

“Because I love dogs and I’m a positive person!” Ted clarifies even though they got it. 

Well, all except Ray. “Oh very clever, Ted!”

“Thanks,” Ted smiles. 

David finishes Ted’s makeup and tells him to move so Patrick sits down next. “What about you? What’s your drag queen name?” he asks him as he starts doing his makeup.

“I don’t know, you can pick one for me,” Patrick tells him. 

They all start saying things but none of them work and as David finishes off Patrick’s makeup he says, “How about _Miss Patty Cakes_?”

Patrick gives David a look and says, “David, that’s literally what Rachel used to call me. Also, I hate it.”

“Okay but like there’s literally _nothing else_ and yeah, it’s awful but that’s your drag name so deal with it,” David tells him before giving him an air kiss and telling him to, “Shoo.”

Ray comes to sit so David can get started on his makeup before finally doing his own. 

*

Once they finally have their faces done they look at the selection all together. David picks up this [pink wig](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFCsWF2A48f/?igshid=4yexuhjnahxs&fbclid=IwAR0QflyiEmHLPGSOsp6msmFVKJMiWeYdWCGZ5BniSreoQaUXOzXmF2YgPpM) and says, “Okay well this is definitely a Moira wig, she’s literally worn a pink wig on an eviction night.” He looks at the other wigs and says, “Ted, I’m really feeling this [softly curled blond one](https://www.instagram.com/p/CG_4-vTg3uc/?igshid=1gvmqqfl5pl9y&fbclid=IwAR2f-FO2Up09t4S4DdhM8VzVyzC2GBpHguiiCSfZRajErmngPd3jfsXM0zo) for you.”

“I was going to say I’d like to take that one if nobody minds,” Ted says, looking at them. They all let him take it and look at the remaining wigs.

“I’d very much like this [brunette one](https://www.instagram.com/p/CFx2qGmApJ3/?igshid=8vf27zchkjaf&fbclid=IwAR2ppvluWD-DliR8tYEQ0zK7EEf5BxHNTRlq4Zf1OmQMzjtooUujPEBcE6w), it goes with the whole look I have in mind,” Ray tells them. He pulls out the gown he was thinking of on the rack to show them, “With this,” he says.

“Yes, love it, Ray. That’s perfect,” David tells him. “Okay so Patrick, you get this fun, long, [orange wig](https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwJpBUgIjT/?igshid=d817278xxxmk&fbclid=IwAR3Ydjo6ZJ3JUMm5j_8Lx_3e62Z9aL3hmRmeQot0Phqk_E81n3w6kOP9oy0).”

“Okay,” he says simply, smiling. He doesn’t care what he wears, he’s just having fun with everyone not thinking about the game.

“Lastly we need to choose our outfits - Ray has his - and our shoes,” David tells them. They look at the clothes and make their selections based on what would look best with their wigs and makeup. 

Now it’s time for the part that Ted was most curious about. Tucking. Since they’re filmed completely - Patrick, Ted, and Ray each get into a different area so David can explain what to do. Ray goes into the bathroom stall and Ted and Patrick get into the two showers. 

“Okay, so you just need to like take your - you know, and tuck it back,” David says, hoping that simplicity will work. 

They all try and because David can see Ted and Patrick’s faces while they do this, he can see their expressions change as they try to tuck and David can’t help but laugh. 

“What?” Patrick asks.

“I just - your faces,” David says through his laughter. “I’m sorry, okay. Do you, um, do you guys get it or?” 

“I think I’ve got it!” Ray says loudly through the door. 

*

Finally, each of them are into their chosen outfits, heels, wigs, and have on a few small pieces of jewelry. They were playing the song over and over while getting dressed so they can remember it by the time they have to lip sync after their catwalks. 

“Wow, aren’t we a bunch of foxy ladies,” David teases as they all stand side by side looking into the mirror.

“I feel so sexy,” Ted tells them, flipping his hair back over his shoulder.

David gasps. “You _look_ sexy, Ted. That hair flip,” he says before snapping his finger. “Okay, I’m gonna alert Stevie that she can come inside.” 

David heads to the backdoor and knocks on it loudly. They set up a system so that Stevie will hear the knock, come in and avoid looking into the washroom as she walks straight to the living room to sit in one of the two nomination chairs to judge this competition.

Stevie calls from the living room, “Ready!” so they know that she’s seated and can get this started.

They all - slowly - make their way out into the hall, careful so Stevie doesn’t see all of them at once. They decided that David would go first followed by Ted then Patrick and lastly, Ray. 

David walks out in his best catwalk to the living room. He strikes a pose in the front of the room facing Stevie who grins wickedly. [David’s wearing](https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgnkv-AtQm/?igshid=7shgtp6d806x&fbclid=IwAR16PxCgPWdvuHrUormtPqtZscUn2V2KH-xHviHIeFfndYjlHdig6arQxto) a latex black, long sleeved dress. It’s cinched at the waist and down the front of the dress from waist to the bottom of it there is some white. “Hi, I’m _Moira Rosé_ because I like the wine, not the label,” he introduces before walking towards her then back to the front, striking another pose before walking out and back to the others.

He taps Ted in who actually walks really well in heels. He makes his way into the room, striking a pose like David did at the front of the room. [Ted has on](https://www.instagram.com/p/B1C1XKoJMut/?igshid=hgz13lsor9iq&fbclid=IwAR0axotXiuMBCzA9c1w71zbzBwBuE_zM_KTruUZFk6ruOCKtUklxT8xEjtc) a backless black, velvet, mini dress and a pair of black pumps. He flips his flowy blond hair over his shoulder and says, “Hi, I’m _Miss Paws Itivity_ because I love animals and I’m a positive person!”

He continues his walk towards Stevie and then back to the front, posing, then walking out and tapping Patrick in.

Patrick is - well, he _cannot_ walk in heels so he moves slowly towards the living room. He puts his hand on his hip as he walks into the room, striking a pose at the front. He looks up at Stevie and he can tell she’s trying so hard not to laugh. He hears her say, “Wow.” [Patrick’s wearing](https://www.instagram.com/p/B24IZx4Asl1/?igshid=dqwyhafjq8z5&fbclid=IwAR1aVN61yYDbhlRfo6RchEkNjOEY7C4OyrWUeXLUC3RNCphvYIKRhYfJvWo) a black pant suit - high waisted pleated black pants and a black blazer with nothing on underneath.

He pushes past her comment to smile and introduce his drag persona, “Hi, I’m -” he pauses, needing a moment to get the words out. “I’m _Miss Patty Cakes_ ,” he finishes and this makes Stevie laugh, not holding back anymore. 

“I’m sorry, go on,” she tells him.

“No, I think we’re good,” he says before doing his walk towards her and back, striking another pose then walking off and tapping Ray in.

Ray walks into the room with confidence even if he can’t walk as well as David and Ted into the room. He strikes a pose at the front of the room, popping his hip out and extending his leg. 

“Oh my _God_ ,” David mutters as they watch from the sidelines. 

[Ray has on](https://www.instagram.com/p/CDWW3fagDlH/?igshid=fc2a0oaxzrc8&fbclid=IwAR3F-qhaXRKbwuUXU3qI5yYP_uMrUEc-_sweeekTxCf_Ocuf_CinuVVN6CA) a gold, one shouldered gown that has a massive slit from the waist on one side of it. Ray even shaved his legs for this. You definitely can’t say he isn’t committed. 

He smiles his big cheerful smile and says, “Hi, I’m _Sugar and Spice_ because I’m sweet like sugar, and spicy because of my nationality.” He takes a pause before adding, “I’m Indian.”

“Yeah, got that,” Stevie tells him. 

“Okay,” he smiles before doing the rest of his walk. He rejoins the others before they each walk back into the room in order and stand at the front of the room. 

“Wow, I must say, I’m _very_ impressed and also never wanted to laugh more in my life,” Stevie tells them. 

“Uh thanks?” David says sarcastically.

“What now?” Stevie asks.

“You critique or compliment our looks and then we do the lip sync before you choose a winner,” Ted explains to her.

“Gotcha,” Stevie says. She looks them all over and says, “David… You definitely got the Moira look down. Not loving this outfit but I do like the wig.” 

David nods, biting his tongue as she then looks to Ted. “Ted, I think you stole your girlfriend’s title of _Blond Bombshell_ because wow,” she tells him.

Ted chuckles before she looks over at Patrick, a glint in her eye. “Patrick, you in this wig. It’s not something I will _ever_ forget so thank you for that,” she tells him.

“Yup, okay,” Patrick nods.

Stevie holds back her laughter and finishes with, “The outfit was very sensible. Wish you wore a dress.” She looks over to Ray and smiles. “Ray, this dress, _wow_.”

“I’ve even shaved my legs!” he tells her.

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” she tells him, really trying not to laugh. “A+ for going the extra mile. Love this entire look.”

“Thank you!”

“Okay so now we’ll be lip singing to Hero by Mariah Carey,” David announces. “Production, will you help us out?”

Then production plays the 90 second recording of the song for them. It starts off softly as they each go into mouthing the words, using their hands and bodies to give a good performance. The song gets more vocal-y and they put their all into their performances. David’s trying not to pay attention to Patrick but it’s hard not to. He’s not going full force into it like he’d hoped but he can’t help but smile at him when their eyes meet. 

There’s a lot of movements of their hands closing into fists and shaking them in the air, or clutching at their chests. David sees Ted going down onto his knees as he belts it out. Ray is moving around the entire room, twirling around. 

The song ends and they all get back into line, some a little more out of breath than others. “ _Wow_ ,” Stevie tells them. “That was - thank you for choosing to do this competition. I’m having the _best_ time.”

“Okay,” David tells her, knowing she’s enjoying this _way_ too much.

“So the winner of BB Drag Race is…” Stevie trails off, looking them all over, and says, “Ted, congratulations!”

“Oh my God, really?!” Ted asks, excitedly. Stevie nods as she stands and Ted says, “Thank you, Stevie!” going over to her and hugging her.

“Sorry, I don’t have a crown to give you,” she tells him.

They decide to take some pictures for fun - production providing a digital camera for the house to take some pictures that they end up using to promote the show on social media. This will definitely get viewers to tune in so they take pictures until they’re over it and want to get out of these outfits. 

*

Later that night, David, Patrick, and Stevie are hanging out on the sofa outside. David and Patrick share a blanket, Patrick with his arm around David, and Stevie curled up in the corner with her own blanket. Ted and Ray have gone to bed so it’s just the three of them talking. 

“Okay so who _really_ won the competition?” David asks her.

“David,” Patrick says, disapprovingly. “Ted won, why is that so hard to believe?”

“It’s not _hard_ to believe, I just don’t think he’s the one Stevie would have chosen had it not been for him leaving in a couple days,” David defends.

“He’s right,” Stevie chimes in. “I mean, he did look good, but I only picked him ’cause it was his idea and we _are_ voting him out this week.”

“I guess that was a nice thing you did, Stevie,” Patrick tells her.

“No shit,” she says, shaking her head.

“Okay so who was your real pick?” David asks again.

“Obviously Ray,” she tells them. “He shaved his legs! He was in a _gold ball gown_ , and _killed_ that lip sync.”

David groans. “You’re not wrong, he definitely committed.”

“Don’t be a sore loser,” she tells him.

“Yeah, not a good look,” Patrick teases.

David gasps. “Excuse you, I am _not_ a sore loser.” They both give him a look before looking at each other and giggling. 

“You’re literally upset you didn’t win a competition we were playing for fun,” Stevie tells him. 

“Yeah, I think that makes you a sore loser,” Patrick adds on.

“Mhm, exactly,” Stevie agrees.

“This is fun for me. I’m having a lot of fun,” David says, annoyed, making them both laugh.

Patrick pulls him in closer, kissing his cheek. He tells him, “We’re just teasing,” before kissing him again.

“I’m not. You’re a sore loser,” Stevie tells him.

“You’re like a tsetse fly, why don’t you go to bed?” David tells her, waving his hand in her general area.

Stevie sits up and says mockingly, “ _Wow_ , so rude just because I didn’t make you the winner of a fake contest.”

“Find a stick and -”

“David.”

Stevie smiles at them as she walks by. “Goodnight,” she says.

“Goodnight, Stevie,” Patrick tells her.

“Uhuh.”

Stevie laughs as she makes her way inside.

“You two are the worst,” David tells him, making Patrick chuckle. He squeezes him into his arms, kissing his cheek and his neck making David laugh and get over it. David turns his head to kiss Patrick on the lips, his hand moving up his thigh and to his waist pulling him towards him. 

Patrick moans into the kiss and David slips his tongue into his mouth, teasing his tongue against Patrick’s. 

“Let’s go to bed,” David says against his lips. 

“Yup, yes, let’s,” Patrick agrees, pulling away from him and standing.

David grins as he watches how eager his boyfriend gets at the prospect of them getting into bed together. He’ll never tire of that, hopefully Patrick won’t either. 

Thankfully, they got ready for bed prior to relaxing outside so they slip into their bed and into each other's arms, lips easily finding each other in the dark.

David throws his leg over Patrick’s, pressing himself completely against him. Patrick slips his tongue into David’s mouth, teasing against his as his hands roam his body. He grabs onto David’s thigh where his leg is thrown over his, digging his fingers into him as he feels David’s hard length press against him.

Patrick pushes David back and gets on top of him, laying between his open legs. “ _Mmm_ , hi,” David whispers as he feels Patrick on top of him, his hardness pressing against his through their pajama pants.

Patrick thrusts against him, feeling each other through their pants but it not being enough. They pull their pants down as much as possible without getting out from under the covers. With their hard, aching cocks now free to grind against each other, Patrick finds it harder to contain his moans. 

Patrick’s face is in the crook of David’s neck, kissing and teasing him, moaning against his skin. “ _Fuck, Patrick,_ I love how vocal you are,” David tells him, his hands grabbing his ass, pulling him harder against him, making Patrick moan into his neck again. 

“Can’t wait to be inside of you, _ff- David_ ,” Patrick tells him sending heat burrowing inside of David. 

“Oh my God, don’t stop,” David moans as they rut against each other. 

“I’m going to fuck you so hard, David, want you so badly,” Patrick tells him hotly in his ear and it’s all it takes for David to come hard between them, moaning Patrick’s name. Patrick comes right along with him, pressing their lips together, their tongues sliding against each other.

*

After cleaning themselves as subtly as possible, Patrick curls up behind his boyfriend. David snuggles in closer, taking Patrick’s hand and intertwining their fingers, resting their joined hands at his chest. He feels Patrick kiss that spot right by his neck that meets his shoulder and he feels him pulling David further into his arms even though there’s nowhere else to go. David smiles, feeling happier than ever that he’s met this amazing man who loves him and wants to be with him for who he is.

**DAY 84**

“I’m _turtley_ going to miss you, guys!”

David smiles at Ted, knowing this is probably the last pun they’ll have to hear. He’ll miss Ted, but he isn’t going to miss his corny humor.

“Having you around has been _a-moos-ing_ ,” Patrick replies, much to Ted’s amusement.

Okay, maybe Ted’s wasn’t the last pun, David thinks, throwing his boyfriend a less than amused glance.

“Hey, it was a parting gift to him,” Patrick whispers as he leans closer to David.

They’re all sitting in the living room, waiting for the live show to begin. Ted and Patrick are in the nomination chairs, David and Stevie on the couch next to Patrick and Ray on the couch next to Ted.

“Hello, houseguests!” Moira’s face appears on the screen, replacing the ‘Live Eviction Today’ graphic. She waits for them to say hello back before continuing. “What a week you’ve had! Ray, this was your second turn as Head of Household, but only the first one where you kept the power for the whole week. How was it different?”

“Hi, Moira!” Ray says cheerfully. “It was a lot easier having time to think. Plus, I didn’t have as many choices for nominees! And I really enjoyed the HoH room.”

“Speaking of nominations, David and Patrick,” Moira calls out to them. “Nominated together _again_! How did that feel?”

“It sucked,” Patrick says without thinking, reaching for David’s hand. His words catch up with him and he starts to blush. “What I mean is–”

“–It sucked,” David cuts him off. He knows this is part of the game, but he’s really not comfortable talking about their relationship with his mother. Historically, she and his father haven’t taken an interest in his romantic relationships, and he doesn’t want it to start with the only one that’s mattered.

“On to better things then. You all put on quite a show! Especially you, David.” Moira fluffs her wig, a similar shade of pink as the one he wore but longer. “A most noteworthy performance! Chin chin to you!”

“Thank you.” David’s surprised at how much the compliment means to him.

“Now, Ted and Patrick, you each have thirty seconds to convince your fellow houseguests why you should stay. Ted, you may go first.”

“Hi, Mom!” Ted says as he stands up. “Um,” he looks at everyone. “David and Stevie, no hard feelings about how you’re going to vote. I just want to thank you all for a fun last few days.” With a goofy smile, he adds, “See you soon, Alexis!”

Moira instructs Patrick to go next, and he says a quick message to his parents before sitting back down.

“Thank you,” Moira tells them. “It’s time for the live vote and eviction. The two nominees are not allowed to vote, and Ray, as HoH, you’re only allowed to vote in the event of a tie. Stevie, you’re first. Please head to the diary room.”

Moira disappears from the screen as Stevie enters the diary room and David waits outside the door for his turn. She pokes him as she crosses paths with him on her way back out, and he scowls at her before schooling his face as he sits down in front of the camera.

“Hello, David. Please cast your vote to evict.”

“I vote to evict Ted,” David tells her. “Obviously.” He heads back to the living room after she thanks him.

“The votes are in,” Moira says, back on the screen. “After I reveal the vote, the evicted houseguest has just a few moments to say goodbye, gather his belongings, and walk out the front door. By a unanimous vote, Ted you have been evicted.”

Ted gets up and hugs them one-by-one. “Win for Alexis, big guy,” he tells David.

“Mhm, yep,” David bites back a remark about his choice of nickname. “Tell her… tell her I miss her. Or whatever.”

After the door closes behind Ted, the final four gather in front of the memory wall and watch his picture fade to black and white.

*****

“I’m sure you’re excited to get to the jury house and Alexis, so I’m only going to ask a couple more questions,” Moira tells Ted outside of the house after he watches his goodbye messages.

“ _Owl_ do my best to answer.”

Moira makes a similar face to her son’s when Ted made his earlier pun. “Is there anything you’d do differently if you could go back in the game?”

“Am I going back in the game?” Ted asks, excited until he sees the look on Moira’s face. “I’m not, am I?”

“You are not, I’m afraid,” she confirms.

Ted thinks back on her question and considers what he’d change. “I’d find that diamond veto before Rachel ideally,” he finally says. “That way Alexis wouldn’t have left the game. I think we could’ve been a real power duo if we had more time.”

“Of that I’m sure.” Moira leans in conspiratorially. “And lastly, who do you think is going to win?”

“I hope David,” Ted says, “But I think Stevie has a good shot if she makes it to the end. She hasn’t made as many enemies from her moves as David and Patrick have. I think they’re going to have a tougher time with the jury.”

“Well, with only two weeks left to go,” Moira says. “We’ll find out soon enough!” She shifts her attention to the camera and audience. “The final four will be competing in the Head of Household competition shortly. But for now, from outside the Big Brother house, I’m Moira Rose. Remember, whatever you do, rock onwards and upwards!”

*

Going into this HoH is going to be a breeze. There’s only four houseguests left and the outgoing HoH - Ray - cannot compete, meaning Patrick’s entire alliance is playing in this competition. Now that it’s down to final four, this HoH win only guarantees that person going to the final three. The most important competition this week is the PoV, whoever wins that will be casting the sole vote to evict and cementing who will come with them to the final three. Patrick will be happy with any of them winning this but just having that assurance that he’s going to the final three is everything. 

They step into a room that they’ve converted for them to compete in today’s HoH. It’s set up like a yoga studio. They were told to change into tracksuits before the competition. Inside the room there are three sections set up for the three players. At each station there is a platform to stand on with a railing bar on either side of the houseguest. There is a podium with a red button on it at the front of their station out of arm's reach. On the railing bars there are black buttons on either side of them, two on the top bar and two on the lower one. There are also two black buttons coming out of the floor near their feet. 

David, Stevie, and Patrick each go to a station as Ray stands on the side, taking the card left for him to read. “This competition is called ‘[Namas-Take It Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fR1BtmWFVc).’ Your goal in this competition is to take off your clothes and get down to your briefs - even taking your socks off - as fast as you can. Not so fast. You’ll have to keep three buttons pressed while changing. If you keep all three buttons pressed, your timer will go at normal speed. Let go of one button and your timer runs 30 times faster. Let go of two buttons and your timer runs 60 times faster. And if you don’t have any buttons pressed your timer will run 120 times faster than normal. While you change, you can press and let go of buttons as you see fit and your timer will adjust accordingly. Once down to your briefs, hit the red button to lock in your time. The slowest person in each of the two rounds will be eliminated, crowning the fastest person the new HoH. Does everyone understand?” Ray explains.

They all nod, understanding. “Your first pose is _The Floating Flamingo_. Your right hand goes to the top railing,” Ray tells them and they each put their right hand where it’s supposed to go. “Your left hand goes to the top railing. And your right foot goes to the bottom left railing.” They get into their position, standing like a flamingo before a buzzer sounds to tell them their time has started as their clock starts ticking. Patrick attempts to hit the buzzer that his foot is on with his hip and to hold down the button his left hand was on with his shoulder so that he can get his foot down and use his free arm to unzip his sweater. 

This competition is a lot harder than it looks and takes a great deal of strength to use your limited motions to undress while holding down all buttons. 

David has seen this competition play out and always thought that he did not envy them. This is way harder than he expected and he _expected_ it to be hard. He gets his sweater down to his elbows so he quickly removes his right hand from the buzzer to rip off one side of the sweater, putting his palm back over it once it’s off. On the left side, he keeps his shoulder against the button as he shimmies the sweater off of his arm. 

Stevie knows that winning this HoH is important. Probably the most important one to win because it brings her to the final three _and_ she can compete in the following HoH since it's the last one. She _wants_ to win this one, more than she has all summer, but this is a very difficult competition. She decided to start with her pants so she put her foot down, hitting the bottom button with the side of her leg. She presses the button on the top railing with her left shoulder so she can have a free hand to start working the pants off. Once it’s down by her ankles she lifts her leg out of it, her time speeding up momentarily before she presses it with her now bare leg. Her other foot doesn’t have to hold a button so she brings her leg up and uses her free hand to rip them off. 

*

David got his pants, sweater, and undershirt off first running over to hit his buzzer. Left in some black briefs, he looks at his timer to show his time of 7 minutes and 12 seconds. He watches as Stevie and Patrick continue working their last few items off. 

Patrick is next, locking in his time at 4 minutes and 56 seconds, followed moments after by Stevie with a time of 6 minutes and 23 seconds. As they stand on their platforms, Ray announces, “With the longest time of 7 minutes and 12 seconds, David, you have been eliminated.” 

David nods, going to stand by Ray. He knew this wasn’t his competition to win the minute he saw which one it was. Either one of them winning is a good thing, he doesn’t see himself sitting on the block but that doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that David wins the PoV so he can cast the sole vote to evict Ray out, solidifying his final three to go to finale. 

“Round two,” Ray tells them. Patrick and Stevie - one of them will be HoH. “Your final pose is _The Tipping Triangle_. Your right shoulder goes on the top railing button. Your right foot goes on the left button on the ground. And your left hand goes on the left button on the top railing.” 

The buzzer sounds and their timer starts. This position isn’t the best but the buttons are easier in Patrick’s opinion so he changes to his left foot on the bottom button and uses his right hand to start undoing his clothes as quickly but efficiently as possible. Not that he doesn’t want Stevie to win HoH and get to final three but now that David is out, he wants to win this so he can guarantee one hundred percent that one of them will be in the final three so that they can still win and open their store. If neither of them get HoH and worst case, Ray wins veto, then they will be separated. That cannot happen. Not again.

*

Stevie locks in her time first at 4 minutes and 58 seconds. Patrick still has his socks left and looks at his timer, he’s still under 3 minutes so he rips off his socks as quickly as possible and runs to hit his red buzzer. His time locks in at 3 minutes and 12 seconds. “Congratulations, Patrick! You are the new Head of House,” Ray tells him.

“Woo!” he can’t help but exclaim. He accepts the HoH key and a hug from Ray. 

He then hugs Stevie and says, “Good job.”

“Congrats to you,” she tells him.

David hugs Patrick tightly. “Congratulations, Mr. I’m in the final three!” he says teasingly but also very excitedly. 

Patrick laughs, lifting him slightly as he hugs him tight. “Thank you,” he says before kissing his neck. 

“Okay, get a room,” Stevie says, gagging at their display of affection.

“Oh, well, we got the HoH one now,” Patrick says, making David laugh. 

David says, “Oooh burn.”

Stevie rolls her eyes at them but they can see the twitch of her lip like she wants to laugh. They walk out of the room and go about their day until they’re called for the next thing.

“Can’t wait to get into the HoH bed tonight,” David tells Patrick as they walk towards their room together. “I’ve _missed_ that bed.”

“You don’t like sharing a twin bed with another fully grown man?” Patrick teases.

David rolls his eyes, his lips twisting to the side. “Okay, normally I don’t mind it, but getting to share a full sized, and _very_ _comfortable_ bed with you is even better,” he tells him.

“Agreed,” Patrick nods, a smirk in place.

David’s so happy for Patrick winning HoH, securing his spot in the final three. He just hopes that he can pull out a win for the veto so that they are _both_ guaranteed in the final three. And selfishly he wants to be the sole vote to evict Ray. It’s one last power move to make prior to the finale that could help him in his argument to win the game. He’s got this.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With only four houseguests left, this PoV competition is the most important competition of the season. The winner will be going to the final three with HoH, Patrick, and get to cast the sole vote to evict for the week, ultimately choosing who else they will battle against in the final three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> It's getting harder to fill their time up since we're at the final four but we're trying to give you the best content we can.  
> We hope you like this chapter! 💖

**DAY 85**

David wakes up with Patrick in his arms, their legs entangled. He can’t see Patrick’s face, angled away from David as it rests on his chest, but he can tell he’s awake. “You’re thinking too loud.” 

“Sorry.” Patrick chuckles as he moves to sit up, David trying to pull him back down.

Giving up at getting Patrick to lay back down, David sighs and sits up, mirroring his boyfriend’s pose. “What were you thinking about?”

Patrick shrugs. “Nothing really. Was just waiting for you to wake up.” With a wiggle of his eyebrows he teasingly adds, “You’re comfortable.”

“Mmm, so are you.” David leans his head down on Patrick’s shoulder, smiling when Patrick reaches out to hold his hand.

“I like that we’re going to be the last ones to use this room,” Patrick says after a moment.

It’s the last week of normal game play. Next week, the final three—including Patrick even though he’s currently HoH—will compete in a series of competitions to decide which one of them will win the final HoH and get to choose who to take to the final two with them. But they won’t know which one of them that will be until the final competition plays out during the live finale, so the HoH room will remain unclaimed for the week.

“I know it hasn’t been our room every week—” Patrick continues, but David cuts him off with a smug, “We’ve won enough HoHs that it feels like it.” Patrick laughs and leans down to kiss the smirk off David’s face, leaving them both breathless when they pull apart. “This room feels special to us,” he says when he’s able to remember his train of thought.

David understands. Although their first HoH win wasn’t until a few weeks after they first got together, it’s in this room that they were able to build their relationship early on, away from prying eyes.

“I know what you mean,” David replies softly. When the look Patrick is giving him feels like too much for a moment that can be broadcast on national television, David looks away, his gaze falling on Patrick’s goody basket on the table. He risks a look back at Patrick, and seeing Patrick’s heart eyes still too damn loud, he tilts his head towards the table hoping to distract him. “You never looked in your basket last night.”

Patrick read the accompanying letter from his parents the night before, but didn’t bother checking to see what was in the basket.

David stretches his arms in the direction of the basket and makes grabbing gestures. “I want to look.” He can see the edge of a picture frame peeking out from a corner and is eager to get a good look at it. So far the pictures Patrick received during his HoH wins have given David a glimpse into Patrick’s life outside of the house. He’s gotten to see pictures of Patrick’s parents, him with his cousins, and even an action shot of him playing baseball.

The photos have made it easier to picture how he’ll fit into Patrick’s life after the show is finished. He can see himself having dinner with Patrick’s parents, as nerve-wracking as the idea is. And he already picked out the perfect “my boyfriend’s on the baseball team” spectator look for the first game he’ll watch from the stands.

Patrick drops David’s hand reluctantly to get up and retrieve the basket. He places it beside David, who immediately makes a grab for the picture frame.

“Oh my God,” David exclaims. Patrick’s younger in the photo, either late teens or early 20s, and he has the most gorgeous curls David has ever seen. “Why didn’t you tell me about your hair?”

“You know my hair is curly,” Patrick says amused, running a hand through his hair, making a mess of it. He hasn’t had a haircut since entering the house and his hair is past the point where he’d normally cut it, the curls just barely starting to define.

“There’s a huge difference between what you’ve got going on—which I do love,” David says, waving a hand at Patrick’s head before pointing at the picture frame. “And _this_. These curls are gorgeous.”

“I was going to ask you if you would trim my hair for me.” Patrick laughs at the outrage that takes over David’s face. “But I guess not.”

“Absolutely not,” David says quickly. “Why would you want to prevent these curls from happening? That is a crime I am not willing to participate in.”

“Ooo, tell me about the crimes you are willing to participate in,” Patrick teases before shrugging and answering David’s question. “Because they’re a lot of work? Some days they looked like a mop on my head.”

“Well lucky for you, you have me now,” David says, putting down the picture and picking up the next one, a photo of an even younger Patrick. “And I can figure out a simple hair routine for you.”

“You? A simple hair routine?”

David ignores his teasing, choosing to just bump into him with his shoulder instead.

“You were right, though,” Patrick says, leaning in to ghost his lips across David’s neck. “I am really lucky to have you now.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere.” David cranes his neck, pretending like it’s to take a closer look in the basket, but really he just wants to give Patrick better access. He bites back a moan and picks out a lip balm from the basket. “Oh, this is my favorite!”

“Huh?” Patrick tears himself away from David and looks at the stick in his hands. “Oh yeah, I put it on my request list. I know you were annoyed when Alexis ruined yours and you didn’t get a replacement in your next HoH basket.”

David melts at the gesture. It may be just a lip balm but it’s a reminder that Patrick will go out of his way to make sure David’s happy, even if it means taking some of his own favorites off his request list to make room for David’s. Carefully placing the lip balm back into the basket, David places the basket on the floor beside him and pulls Patrick to lay down with him. “That was very sweet of you, and you deserve a thank you.”

“I like the sound of that,” Patrick says as David pulls the comforter over their heads.

*

The nominations this week are the easiest it’s ever been. Patrick only has three people to choose from and one of them is his boyfriend. His nominations are a no brainer this week. It’s going to suck to nominate one of his closest allies - Stevie - however, it truly doesn’t matter that she is going on the block because the most important competition this week is the Power of Veto. Whoever wins the Pov, will have safety for the week, it’ll bring them to the final three, and that person who isn’t nominated will have the sole vote to evict, choosing who will join them and Patrick in the final three. Patrick’s only hope is Ray not winning the veto.

First he needs to actually make his nominations. He enters the kitchen with the nomination key box, placing it on the table in front of him. David, Stevie, and Ray are sitting next to each other on the other side of the table, watching him. 

“This is the nomination ceremony. As HoH, it is my responsibility to nominate two houseguests for eviction. I will turn each key to lock in my nominations and the faces of the nominees will appear on the memory wall behind me,” he explains. “The first houseguest I have nominated is,” he turns the key and the face appears behind him, “Ray.” 

After a brief pause Patrick says, “The next houseguest I have nominated is,” he turns the last key and the face appears below Ray’s, “Stevie.” 

Stevie nods, having expected this. Patrick explains his nominations, “I have nominated both you, Ray, and you, Stevie, for eviction. These nominations don’t matter, it’s all about the PoV this week, so I wish all three of you luck in the competition. This nomination ceremony is adjourned.” 

Patrick takes the key box, leaving the three of them to hug each other as he brings it back to the storage room before rejoining them. The nomination ceremony is quickly forgotten as everyone had expected this outcome and ultimately knowing that it wouldn’t make a difference. 

*

“Hey,” Patrick calls out, leaving the storage room where he was trying to figure out what to make for dinner. “The restock included pizza crusts.” He waves the box in his hand in the air, then places it in front of David and Stevie at the kitchen island. “Want to make pizza tonight?”

“But there’s no outdoor pizza oven?” David turns towards the glass doors to the backyard, squinting to see if he can make out the addition of a pizza oven.

Stevie snorts at David’s question. “It’s called a normal indoor oven, genius.”

David turns back around, glaring at her. “Just one pizza?” he questions, looking at the box Patrick dropped on the kitchen island. “What is this? Les Mis?”

“There’s more in the storage room,” Patrick replies. "I thought it’d be fun. And, I don't know, an easy way to include Ray? I don't want him to feel left out this week."

"Awww," Stevie coos. "How'd you land such a sweet boyfriend?" she teases David.

"Shut up," he snaps at her. "For that, you can be the one to go find Ray." When she wanders off in the direction of the bedrooms after giving a crude hand gesture, David turns to Patrick. "She’s right. This is sweet. You are sweet." 

Patrick smirks. "It wasn't just about Ray. I know the way to your heart."

“Mm, pizza is definitely a start,” David murmurs, inspecting the box. “Not sure about a frozen crust, though.”

“Pretty sure you’d eat any pizza.” Patrick takes the seat Stevie left next to David. “Besides,” he adds. “Smother it in enough cheese and you’ll never tell the difference.”

“Keep talking, this is really doing it for me.” David leans in closer to him.

Stevie and Ray join them, ending the heated moment before it can really begin. 

“Uh, up for pizza, Ray?” Patrick asks, clearing his throat and getting up as Ray starts to ramble about his favorite pizzas.

The four split up in a search for toppings, David and Stevie heading to the storage room while Patrick and Ray stay in the kitchen. When they meet back up, they line everything up on the kitchen island.

“No soppressata?” David asks, eyeing the gathered ingredients carefully.

“You can just use the salami. Or the pepperoni,” Stevie says, grabbing both. “If I leave you any. I’m making a meat lover’s.”

“Stuffing yourself with meat?” David snickers.

“What are you, twelve?” Stevie huffs, but she’s unable to keep a smirk matching David’s off her face.

Grabbing their chosen ingredients, they all set up their places at the kitchen table and start assembling their pizzas. Like she said, Stevie picked every meat option, while Patrick is sticking to traditional pepperoni, and Ray has a concerning assortment of ingredients in front of him.

“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” Ray asks, watching David coat the crust in oil and garlic.

“I just know what makes a good pizza flavor profile,” David replies, wincing as he watches Ray add a layer of mustard to his own pizza. 

“Then you’ll love this one!” Ray says, unaware of the looks his housemates are giving him and his creation.

David places a final layer of cheese over his salami, capers, and onion pizza, and after all of their pizzas are in the oven, they sit back down at the table to talk while they wait for them to cook.

“That’s a nice looking ’za,” Patrick comments when David takes his pizza out of the oven. He’s standing behind David, trapping him against the counter with one arm, the other hidden behind his back.

“Ew, who are you? My father?” David pushes the baking sheet away from Patrick. “You don’t get to try it if you’re going to be weird.”

“Were you going to let me anyway?” Patrick raises a brow.

“I do like you, so maybe.” David shrugs. “But you’d have to give me some of yours.”

“Well, that’s a given.” Patrick holds out his hidden arm, revealing a plate that already has two slices of his pizza on it. “Here’s yours.”

“My hero.” David accepts the plate from him, adding two of his own slices to it before pushing the baking tray back closer to Patrick to offer him a slice.

They all make their plates and sit back down at the table to eat together. In the beginning, not everyone would eat at the same time, or when they did, they’d all eat in different rooms of the house. Only recently, as their numbers died down, did they start having house meals all together.

Ray offers a slice of his pizza to everyone, and they all politely decline until David leans closer to Stevie and dares her to eat a slice.

Not willing to let David win, she says, “You know what, Ray? I think I will try a piece.” There’s something green on it that she can’t identify from the toppings she saw Ray use, but she fakes a smile as she takes a bite and forces it down.

Even though he doesn’t know why they’re doing it, Ray joins David and Patrick when they’re unable to stifle their laughter any longer, the look on Stevie’s face too much for them. She joins in, too, and in that moment it’s easy to forget that one of the most important competitions is tomorrow, and that in less than twenty-four hours, they’ll know who is in the final three.

**DAY 86**

David exits the HoH bathroom after doing his morning routine, surprised to see Patrick sitting on the edge of his bed lost in thought. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Hm?" Patrick looks up. "Oh, uh, nothing."

"Okay, well your face says differently." David sits down next to him, putting an arm around him and rubbing his shoulder. "What’s wrong?" he repeats.

"I guess I'm just worried about the veto comp today. I know we have the advantage because it's the three of us against Ray, but I can’t stop thinking about what happens if he wins.” Patrick slumps forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his head cradled in his hands. 

David moves his hand from Patrick’s shoulder to rub his back. “Hey, aren’t you the one who’s always saying we shouldn’t worry until after the veto competition?”

“But if Ray wins, it’s game over,” Patrick says, his voice muffled by his hands. “There’s nothing we can do. He’ll be the final vote. And you know he’ll evict you.”

“Wouldn’t be my first eviction,” David jokes lamely.

Patrick looks up quickly at his reply. “It’d be the first time you went home while I was HoH, though.”

“Oh,” David says softly, realizing the position Patrick is in. He was happy not to win HoH this week because it meant he’d have a chance to be the sole vote cast. But part of him was also happy about not having to nominate either Stevie or Patrick. What he hadn’t thought of was the weight that’ll be on Patrick’s shoulders if the veto competition doesn’t go their way.

“Yeah,” Patrick says, falling backwards to lay down on the bed.

David leans back to join him, but turns so he’s on his side, facing Patrick. “Are you forgetting that I’ll go down in BB history as the HoH who let his own sister go home?”

“Wasn’t your fault,” Patrick says quickly. “Rachel stole all the power from you that week. You didn’t _let_ anything happen.”

“You can be the one to explain that to her when she learns we picked Stevie over her.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Patrick emphasizes again.

“And it’s not your fault if Ray wins,” David retorts. “You’re not the only one playing today. It’s not up to you to single-handedly save us all.”

“I know,” Patrick says unconvincingly. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t feel any less horrible about watching you walk out the door for a second time.”

“Then we just have to win,” David says simply. He’s not sure of what else he can say to Patrick. The situation is a role reversal for them. Usually Patrick is the one who has to comfort David, not the other way around. It comes—or at least it seems to come—naturally to him. But for David, Patrick is the first person he’s ever felt like this with before. Seeing Patrick upset makes him feel like there’s a knot in the pit of his stomach growing larger and larger until David is able to make everything okay.

It seems to work, though. Patrick turns on his side to face David, a smile growing on his face as he looks at him. “We just have to win, huh? As easy as that?”

“Well, you are the ‘The Veto Victor,’ aren’t you?” David teases, referencing Patrick’s BB Comic alter ego. “Maybe I’ll try to take that title from you.”

“Good luck trying.” Patrick moves quickly, pinning David underneath him. He leans down to capture David’s lips with his own. “Thank you,” he says softly before getting up and holding his hand out to help David up.

“Any time,” David replies, knowing he’d do whatever he could to keep a smile on Patrick’s face.

*****

The four remaining houseguests walk into the yard to see it transformed for the Power of Veto competition. The yard looks like a giant cage and there are four sections set up with walls so you can’t see your housemates. There are four giant hamster wheels - one for each player in their section. They all go to their designated hamster wheel and step inside of it. 

Moira’s voice comes over the sound system, “Hello, houseguests!”

“Hi, Moira!”

“This competition is called ‘[The Fast And The Furriest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOfeEyH_vnY&pbjreload=101)’ and here’s how it works. An event that has occured in the house will be displayed on the screen. It is up to you to figure out what day that event took place and spin your wheel to the correct date. The wheel goes up by intervals of five so be careful to not go over your time or you will have to reset. Once you think you have the correct date, hit your buzzer to lock in your answer. The slowest houseguest in each round will get a strike against them. Three strikes and you’re out of the competition. The last player standing will win the Power of Veto,” she explains. “Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!”

A buzzer sounds before the screen displays their first event: _On what day was the first unanimous vote?_

Patrick remembers that the first unanimous vote was to evict Miguel and that happened on day 22. He makes sure not to run too fast on the wheel so that it doesn’t go up too fast and he passes by his day. He hits day 20 and moves it slowly to get to day 22 before jumping off his wheel and hitting his buzzer, locking in his answer.

He hears someone else buzz in soon after him then another then the last one. Moira’s voice announces, “The correct answer was day 22, you’ve all gotten it right, however, Ray you were the last to buzz in earning you one strike against you.” 

Patrick cheers quietly to himself, glad that so far they are crushing it. The buzzer sounds again and the next event is displayed on the screen: _On what day did the jury battle back competition take place?_

David remembers this day all too well, it was the same day he was evicted which was on day 71. He tries to run fast on his wheel, aiming to land on 70 without having to restart. He slows down at 60, going up to 65 then 70 before moving it once more to hit 71. He heard someone else buzz in right before him but that’s fine because he’s not last. 

Once all four have buzzed in, Moira tells them, “The answer was day 71, you are all correct. Ray since you buzzed in last you have earned your second strike.”

David jumps up and down. One more strike against him and it doesn’t matter which of them wins, Ray will be leaving on Thursday.

The screen displays their third event: _On what day was the Diamond Power of Veto used?_

Stevie groans to herself as she starts running on her wheel. She remembers this day all too well, Rachel hijacking David’s HoH and nominating her and Alexis. That was day 54. 

She goes too fast, getting to day 55 so she has to jump off to reset her timer before getting back on and trying to go fast enough to not be last but not too fast that she has to restart again. She ends up buzzing in last and she just hopes that Ray got it wrong. 

“The answer was day 54, everyone is correct. Stevie, you buzzed in last so you have earned your first strike,” Moira informs them.

The buzzer sounds when the screen shows their fourth event on the screen: _On what day was the double eviction?_

Ray remembers that the double eviction happened on day 64 because he won the HoH that night and his plan to split David and Stevie didn’t work and Twyla ended up being evicted after Rachel. Ray goes too fast, passing day 60 and needing to restart. He needs to be quick so he doesn’t get eliminated. If he doesn’t win this veto, he will be leaving on Thursday. 

He ends up buzzing in last and feels completely defeated and out of breath. Moira’s voice comes back and announces, “The answer was day 64, everyone is correct. Ray, I’m sorry but this is your third strike and you have been eliminated from this competition.”

Ray nods, sadly as he leaves his station to go sit on a stool on the other side of the yard, watching the rest of the competition play out.

*

With Ray out of the competition, David, Patrick, and Stevie feel relieved, a weight off of their shoulders. One of them will win and send Ray packing, solidifying their alliance in the final three. 

The next few events were shown and David had earned one strike while Stevie got two more, eliminating her from the competition. It’s just David and Patrick left - David with one strike and Patrick with none.

The next event shown on the screen is: _On what day did the only tie breaker vote take place?_

David remembers that the only tie vote happened during Jake’s HoH. He broke the tie and evicted Gwen on day 29. He goes slowly, not wanting to pass the day and having to restart, however he’s too slow because he hears Patrick buzz in before him. They were both correct but David was slower so he earned his second strike. 

The next event that appears on the screen is: _On which day was OTEV played?_

Patrick remembers that day because he won that competition - not that it mattered since that was the week Rachel hijacked David’s HoH. He runs on his wheel, trying to get to day 52. Patrick buzzes in first, and he knows he won this competition. 

Once David buzzes in, right after him, Moira announces, “The answer was day 52, you both were correct but because David, you buzzed in last, this is your third strike, which means that congratulations, Patrick, you have won the golden Power of Veto!”

David is just as excited for Patrick to win as he would have been for himself. Patrick will leave the nominations the way they are and David will have the sole vote to evict. He runs over to hug Patrick, immediately being wrapped up in his arms. Patrick kisses his neck and laughs.

David grins, “Told you,” he says to him softly making Patrick laugh some more before kissing him on the lips. 

“Final three,” Patrick whispers into his ear, making them both laugh, so ecstatic with the outcome of this competition.

*

After she finishes summarizing the veto competition in the diary room, Stevie’s reluctant to leave. She’s still not comfortable letting all her emotions out in these diary sessions, but there’s something she needs to talk about and she can’t say it to David or Patrick.

Sensing she has more to say, the producer prompts her, asking how she feels now that the competition is over.

“Relieved that Ray didn’t win,” Stevie answers quickly. “That’s what was most important. Our alliance is definitely going to be in the final three. And that’s amazing. It really is.” She brings her hand up to her mouth, biting her thumb while thinking of what to say next. “But also…” she trails off. “I’m kind of pissed off that Patrick won. Again. I don’t think I’ve built enough of a resume in the house to win against either Patrick or David in the final two. And that’s another thing!”

“What is?” the producer asks when she doesn’t continue.

“I don’t think I’m even going to be in the final two,” she answers. “Patrick has proven he’s a great competitor. If he’s the final HoH, he’s definitely picking David. And, yeah, David could beat Patrick to become the final HoH, but I’m not sure…” Her voice breaks. “I know he promised me, but I’m not sure he’d really pick me to go with him. What he and Patrick have, it’s special. So I wouldn’t blame him if he picked Patrick over me. But I can’t help feel like I’ve been watching this game be played instead of playing it, and…”

The producer has to prompt her again as she trails off.

“And like I’m going to get left behind,” Stevie finishes. “It’s silly, but I feel like a lot of people got something in the house. Jocelyn and Mutt reunited and started to fix their relationship. Alexis and Ted got together, and maybe they’ll be something outside of the house. David and Patrick, they’ll definitely still be something outside of the house. And maybe they’ll still want to be friends. Hopefully, they will. But what if they don’t? Or if our friendship just doesn’t work? What if winning the prize money is my only chance to get something out of this game?”

She sighs, unsure if she should continue talking. She wouldn’t give up the alliance—no, friendship—that she has with David and Patrick. But she can’t help but be afraid that it means more to her than them. 

The producer asks her if there’s anything else she’d like to add, so she shares that sentiment, hoping to make it clear to the audience that she doesn’t regret any of her choices, just wishes she could have made more of an impact to secure her place, in the house and in her friendship. “I can picture them together in New York or wherever,” she says. “And me still behind the desk at my aunt’s motel. I don’t know where I fit.”

“What if David does win the final HoH and picks Patrick over you?” the producer asks.

Knowing the producer is hoping for her to respond with something angry, Stevie doesn’t, choosing to instead end her diary room session by saying, “Like I promised him early on, he has my vote.”

*

Later that night, David and Patrick get into bed. David moans contently as he feels the big HoH bed underneath him, the comfortable bedding all around him, and his boyfriend pulling him against him. “Today was a good day,” he tells Patrick as he lets himself be pulled into Patrick’s chest.

Patrick grins. “It really was.”

“We’re going to the final three - our alliance did the damn thing!” David says excitedly, making Patrick laugh. 

Patrick kisses David on the lips softly before pulling back to say, “Thank you for earlier. Talking with you before the competition really helped me get into the zone. You’re why I do so well in this competition.”

David rolls his eyes but he can’t help the smile as he twists it up to the side. “Please, you did all of this on your own. I just helped, a little,” David teases.

Patrick kisses him softly again. “You’re my rock, David. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

“Neither would I,” David agrees, kissing him again. He pulls back to say, “I mean, like _you_ got me here, not that I also got myself here.”

Patrick laughs before pulling him back in again, kissing him harder. They shimmy down under the covers, thankful that the lights are out. David gets on top of Patrick, knowing how much Patrick loves the weight of him. He also wants to get his mouth on him and he can’t do that if he’s under him. 

David slips his tongue into Patrick’s mouth, teasing it with Patrick’s as he grinds above him. He can feel Patrick’s hard length press against his as he moans lightly into their kisses, his hands all over David’s body, pulling him in and running down into the back of David’s pajama pants. 

David kisses down Patrick’s lips to his jaw and his neck. He moves down his body, staying between his spread legs. He pushes his t-shirt up when his face is settled right where it needs to be. Patrick helps him pull his pants down enough before David’s mouth is on him. 

“ _Shit_ ,” Patrick moans, his fingers running through David’s hair, needing to reach out to him, and knowing David likes it when he pulls his hair lightly. 

David moans around him, happy to have him back in his mouth. He loves the weight and taste of Patrick’s hard leaking cock on his tongue. How it pulses against his tongue, wanting and needing more. He runs his hands up Patrick’s thighs and up to his ass, pulling him in as he deep throats him. 

“ _David_ , oh my God, you’re so good, this feels so good,” Patrick rambles above him, in just above a whisper, not needing the cameras to pick up on what they’re saying. He tugs lightly on David’s hair and that makes David moan around him, causing vibrations and making Patrick impossibly harder. 

It’s not long before Patrick is warning David and coming hard down his throat. David takes it all like he always does, loving the taste of him on his tongue. He tucks Patrick gently back into his pants before crawling back up his body and kissing him hard on the lips. Patrick chasing the taste of himself with his tongue. Patrick strokes David just the way he likes as he kisses his lips, his neck, and teases his nipples. He comes hard in Patrick’s hand before he cleans himself off with a tissue before he quickly heads to the washroom. He washes up and grabs a warm cloth to bring to David.

David cuddles up on Patrick’s chest, hearing his heartbeat steadily beneath him. David plays with Patrick’s fingers gently on his stomach as he feels Patrick’s other hand slowly stroke his head. David’s never felt completely at peace in this house - or in his life - and it’s all because of Patrick. Someone who has quickly become the love of his life. Now they just need to win this game and they can start the rest of their lives together.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick seals one houseguests fate at the Power of Veto ceremony but that doesn't mean they will just give up.  
> One more houseguest is sent packing, giving us the final three of the season!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!  
> So we've finalized when this fic will end... at chapter 36 so that means after this one there will only be 3 more. This has been a long journey, having started working on this fic in June 2020 and started posting as of July. This is literally the length of a pregnancy and it honestly has felt like our baby throughout. We're so thankful for all your comments every week and all the love you have for this story because this has been so fun for us to work on and we're honestly going to be lost once it's completed. 
> 
> We hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you for being on this ride with us! 💖

**DAY 88**

Ray’s the first one awake the morning of the veto ceremony. He sits down on one of the couches in the living room and stares at the television screen. ‘Power of Veto Ceremony Today,’ is across the screen, reminding him that his Big Brother fate will probably be sealed today. With Patrick holding the Power of Veto, there’s nothing Ray can do to get off the block now. He’ll never turn against David, so Ray should probably adapt Ted’s mindset from last week and try to enjoy his last days. He’s had a fun time in the house, hopefully making long term friends, but he’s still hoping he can win the prize money; it would go a long way in expanding his businesses. And that’s why he’ll need to try and find a way to turn David and Patrick against Stevie, hopefully without them even realizing they’re being played.

It’s not long before Stevie joins him, yawning as she shuffles in from one of the bedrooms. She stops short when she sees what he’s staring at. “Uh, hey, Ray. Morning,” she manages to get out awkwardly, sitting down on the opposite couch.

“Good morning, Stevie!” Ray says brightly, refocusing his attention on her. “How much longer do you think Patrick and David will be? I think we should have a nice big breakfast today.”

“Um…” Stevie trails off, looking upstairs towards the HoH bedroom. “I don’t know. Probably not much longer?”

Ray nods, smiling, and when he doesn’t look away, Stevie shifts in her seat uncomfortably. They sit in silence for a little while longer, Stevie breaking eye contact with Ray several times to look upstairs before she can’t take it any longer. “I’m just going to see if I can hurry them along.”

*

Upstairs, David and Patrick are relaxing in bed, waiting for production to start blasting the music that means they’ll have to get up and start their day. With the season coming to a close, their mornings like this are numbered and both want to savor every minute, especially when they don’t have to put their mic packs on until the music starts or they get out of bed.

“I can’t believe we only have nine more days here,” Patrick says.

David pouts, snuggling in closer to Patrick. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m going to miss you.”

“Planning on kicking me to the curb once we’re out of here?” Patrick teases.

“No!” David says quickly. “I know you don’t have a job to rush back to, but you will have to go back to your family and your home.”

“The first thing either of us needs to do is find a hotel room so we can have some real privacy,” Patrick whispers in David’s ear, following the heated promise with a kiss on his neck. He settles his head on David’s shoulder. “Hopefully my parents will be at the finale and you can meet them, and then we can have time alone.”

“Meet your parents right before you whisk me away to a hotel? Great first impression,” David says, his laugh vibrating under Patrick’s head.

Patrick blushes, shrugging. “If they’ve been watching they, uh, probably wouldn’t be surprised so…” He trails off, shaking his head, not wanting to think about how much of their relationship his parents have witnessed. “So, yeah, after I see them, I’ll be all yours.”

“And you don’t have stuff to take care of at home?” David asks.

“I actually…” Patrick trails off, shifting off of David so he’s on his back looking up at the ceiling. “I went back to my parents’ house after my last breakup with Rachel.”

Sensing Patrick’s discomfort at the admission, David quickly reassures him. “Nothing wrong with that. You know I’ve been sharing a motel room with my sister next door to my parents.”

“It’s just that it didn’t make sense after I applied for the show to find somewhere else to live,” Patrick begins to explain. “I didn’t want to pay rent, while unemployed, for an apartment I wasn’t living in for the summer. And I thought that if I didn’t make it on the show, I could just start over somewhere new maybe.”

“Okay… Why do you sound so worried?” David sits up so he can make eye contact with Patrick. When Patrick tries to avoid his gaze, David cups his chin and tilts his head towards him. “Hey, you can tell me anything.”

“I just don’t want you to think I’m trying to rush things,” Patrick says. “I know we’re both on the same page about staying together and our plans for the store means we’ll eventually be together geographically, but we can go at whatever pace is right for you.”

“Whatever pace is right for _us_ ,” David corrects him.

“Whatever pace is right for us,” Patrick repeats with a smile. “As long as you don’t think I’m trying to, I don’t know, just insert myself into your life and you have no say in it.”

“That doesn’t sound awful,” David murmurs. “Wait,” he says, realizing the depth of what Patrick is trying to say. “Are you worried about being too much?”

“Kind of?”

David laughs. “This has to be the first time someone has been worried about being too much for me. Usually it’s the other way around.”

“No such thing as too much David Rose.”

“I know plenty who would disagree with that.” David waves off whatever comment he knows Patrick is going to say in his defense. “I promise you I don’t think that you not having as many attachments home means you’re going to force yourself on my doorstep. Okay?”

“Okay.” Patrick’s smile reassures David that he really is okay, so David attempts to cuddle back into Patrick, but there’s a quick knock on the door, followed by production beginning to blast the music, letting them know that their quiet alone time is over.

“You better be decent,” Stevie says walking in. “Quit it with the kissy face. Ray’s making breakfast.” She waits while they get up and make quick trips to the bathroom to freshen up, David’s noticeably less quick than Patrick’s. “C’mon,” she urges them along once they’re ready. “I can’t do any more awkward alone time with Ray.”

“For the record,” David says, stopping Patrick before they leave the room. “You’d be welcome on my doorstep any time.”

*

The trio enter the kitchen to find Ray pulling out a frying pan and spatula.

“Ah, coffee. You’re an angel,” Stevie says when she sees the coffee pot brewing. She stands at the counter waiting for it to finish while David and Patrick take seats at the kitchen island.

“Did Stevie tell you I’m making breakfast?” Ray asks. “Are you hungry?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Patrick replies, feeling guilty, at the same time that David answers with an emphatic yes.

“How do eggs sound?” Ray asks, moving to the fridge, not waiting for the other houseguests to reply. “Oh, I think we’re out. I could have sworn we had plenty left after I made my breakfast yesterday.”

“You really don’t have to cook,” Patrick tries again, but his protest gets ignored. 

“It’s fine. I’ll grab the pancake mix from the storage room. How do we feel about that?”

“Oh, four please,” David requests.

Ray nods, beaming at him. “David, you’re constantly talking about how much you eat. But I’ve seen you walk from the bedroom to the shower, and you look fine.” 

Stevie hides her laugh at David’s expense by turning her back to them and making herself a cup of coffee.

“Mmm, thanks, Ray,” David forces out, only relaxing when Ray leaves to go to the storage room.

“He’s too nice.” Patrick sighs, conflicted about having Ray do things for them when they’re getting rid of him this week.

“To you maybe,” David says. “But he just said I look fine.”

“You do look _fiiiine_ ,” Patrick says, drawing it out until David’s frown turns upwards.

“Counting down the days until I’m free from this,” Stevie says, pretending to gag at their flirting.

“You’re going to laugh,” Ray says, walking back into the kitchen, a carton of eggs in one hand and the pancake mix in the other. “We do have eggs. They were on the counter next to the pancake mix. I must have left them sitting there yesterday morning. Are we feeling lucky?”

“Absolutely not,” David replies quickly.

“I’ll just grab these,” Stevie says, reaching out to take the carton from Ray and throw it in the trash before he attempts to cook them.

“Can I still have the pancakes?” David asks.

“Of course!” Ray grabs a mixing bowl and gets to work on breakfast.

David, Patrick, and Stevie all share a look unsure of whether or not they should say something, but they come to an unspoken agreement. If this is how he wants to spend his last days, who are they to stop him.

*

“Hey guys, it’s time for the Power of Veto ceremony,” Patricks tells his three housemates who are sitting outside. They all make their way to the living room where Ray and Stevie sit in the nomination chairs and David sits on the sofa closest to Stevie. Patrick stands at the front of the room in front of the veto box on the coffee table. “This is the Power of Veto ceremony. I have the opportunity to remove one of you from the block. Seeing as I also won HoH and nominated you both, it is because I did not want David to be on the block so I will _not_ be using the PoV today and I will be leaving my nominations in place.” Patrick removes the veto necklace from his neck and places it into the box. “This nomination ceremony is adjourned,” he says before closing the lid of the box.

He picks it up and walks it to the storage room leaving the three of them to exchange hugs. Everyone knew this outcome was the only actual possibility when Patrick won the PoV yesterday. 

Ray heads for the diary room, needing to talk to somebody that isn’t anyone in this house. He sits on the chair in front of the camera and gives a sad smile. “Well, Patrick didn’t use the veto. I wasn’t expecting him to but this just sealed my fate. There is no way David will save me over Stevie but I definitely still going to try. Ray Butani is not a quitter.”

*

Patrick joins Stevie and David in the kitchen and asks, “Ray?”

“DR,” David tells him. 

“Went in there right away,” Stevie adds.

“Probably saying how he’s still going to campaign for my vote, poor thing,” David says.

“I feel bad for him, he didn’t stand a chance with the three of us this far in the game,” Patrick adds. 

“No, he really didn’t,” David agrees. “We literally dominated this game.”

“We’re going to finale night,” Stevie reminds them, making them all giddy and dance in place until they hear a door open and stop instantly. Ray joins them, sitting at the kitchen island, shutting their celebration down.

“What are you guys making?” Patrick asks David and Stevie to break the weird awkward tension in the room. 

“Nachos,” David answers.

“Duh,” Stevie adds. 

Patrick walks over to sit next to Ray and watch the two of them make nachos. “Are we included in this or is it just for you?” he teases them.

“I would like some nachos, if you’re making for everyone,” Ray adds with a smile.

David forces a smile and Patrick tries not to laugh. “Sure, we can make some for everyone,” he says. He and Stevie throw more ingredients onto their already large stack of nachos. 

Ray tells them a story from back home to fill the silence before they all head outside to sit under the shade on the sofa and share the nachos. 

*

Later that night, David and Patrick are relaxing on the hammock by themselves, Stevie having gone inside declaring they were being too nauseatingly sweet. Ray has been in the kitchen baking since after dinner.

“Do you think Ray is trying to bribe us with baked goods?” Patrick asks, taking a bite of one of the brownies Ray brought out to them before he went back inside to make cookies.

David swipes the crumb at the corner of Patrick’s mouth with his thumb, liking it clean and winking at his boyfriend. Patrick captures David’s lips with his own, chasing the taste of chocolate in his mouth. David reluctantly pulls away, and jokingly chastises Patrick. “At least wait until dessert is done.”

Patrick’s tempted to call David dessert, but it’s too easy of a line, served up on a silver platter by David’s remark. The glint in his eyes is enough for Patrick to know David was expecting it, so instead he just repeats his question about Ray.

“Maybe,” David considers it, finishing his own brownie. “It won’t work, but he can keep trying.”

Patrick hands off the rest of his brownie to David to finish. “I don’t think I told you congratulations yet.”

“Congratulations? For what?” David asks in between bites.

“Making it to the final two!”

“No, I made it to the final three, just like you,” David corrects him. He finishes off the brownie then notices the look Patrick is giving him. “What?”

“Come on, David, you know you’re in the final two.”

David shrugs. “It’s not a guarantee yet, and the motto of the show is to expect the unexpected.”

“And in the history of the show has one of those game changers ever happened in the final three?” At David’s silence, Patrick continues. “Okay then. So either you win final HoH and you’re in the final two, or me or Stevie win it and take you.”

“It’s just… I don’t want to celebrate before it’s time. Just in case.”

Patrick wants to tell David over and over that they’ll pick him until he accepts it, but he has a feeling that would be too much for David right now. So instead he settles for placing a kiss on his forehead and making him a promise. “I know I can’t speak for Stevie, but there’s nothing that could keep me from choosing you.”

“Thank you,” David says quietly. “I know that, but I don’t want to get too excited if there’s even a remote chance of getting let down. There’s too much riding on that prize money.”

“I know.” And Patrick does. He knows what the money could mean for David, for his dream. And if David feels better not getting too excited yet, he’ll respect that. But he’s excited enough for David on his own. Hopefully he’ll be able to come up with enough money, either from the show or applying for grants if he has to, to help build that dream with David. “Hey, Ray probably has more brownies inside,” he changes the topic for David’s benefit. “And I know there’s ice cream…”

David shoves at Patrick to get him to move out of the hammock. “Hurry up.”

“Okay, okay.” Patrick laughs as he gets up and holds out a hand to help his boyfriend up. “Just remember that no dessert is worth keeping Ray over Stevie.”

“That was before I knew ice cream brownie sundaes were in play,” David jokes, leading the way into the house. 

*

After enjoying his brownie sundae, David and Patrick were cuddling on the sofa outside before Patrick left him to go use the washroom. David sips on his tea as he waits for his boyfriend to come back. The door slides open and David looks to it but it’s only Ray. 

Ray walks over with his own mug and sits in the chair near the sofa, a smile on his face. “How did you like your brownie sundae, David?” he asks, nodding to the empty plate on the coffee table.

“Very good, thank you,” David tells him. 

“That’s good.” Ray smiles. “I’d like to talk to you about your vote this week. You don’t have to say anything - I’d just like to make my pitch.”

David gives him a sympathetic smile. “Of course,” he tells him. How could he tell him no after all that Ray has done today with breakfast, helping with dinner even though they told him not to, and then all the desserts. David can’t help but think Ray definitely did all that to butter him up for this conversation. 

Ray grins. “Thank you. I’m not going to say anything bad about Stevie because she’s a great person but I want to tell you why I think it would be better for your game to take me over her,” he tells him. David nods so Ray continues, “As you’re aware, Stevie has won more competitions than I have. She also had a good social game seeing as I never heard anybody say one bad word about her. And trust me, I’ve listened in on _a lot_ of conversations.”

David’s eyebrow rises at that. _Is this what he thinks is a good pitch?_ he can’t help but think. 

Ray continues, “I think that if you kept me, you would have an easier time winning the final HoH and up against me, you would win with the jury. Think about it… if you are battling against Stevie and Patrick, you might not win. Stevie could easily win the endurance competition, Patrick would beat you in the physical, and then they go head to head. Honestly, either will probably take you to the final two, however, will the jury vote for you against them? Patrick has the most wins in the house. Stevie is universally liked, she was in an alliance that dominated the game without getting anyone upset, and she was in a showmance early on that didn’t hinder her game. You’ve been a target since early on, and you were evicted before battling back. You have won a lot of competitions and made some moves in this house. Have you thought about the jury becoming bitter if you were sitting against Patrick or Stevie?”

Honestly, he has thought about it. He knows it’s unlikely he wins but he’s been working on his speech every week he’s been in this house and has made it another week. He thinks that if the jury is going to be bitter then fine, at least somebody he cares about will win, but he just doesn’t think this jury will be. The only person he knows for an absolute fact will vote against him is Rachel. 

“I have,” he tells him when Ray actually waits for a reply.

“However, against me,” Ray tells him. “You would win. I haven’t done enough to win against you.”

“You have an amazing social game,” David tells him. “Everybody loves you.”

Ray grins, “Thank you, David. That isn’t enough to be crowned winner, though.” The backdoor slides open and Patrick steps out, closing it behind him. They both turn to look at him before Ray turns back to David to say, “I hope you’ll think about it.”

David meets Ray’s eye and says, “I will,” giving him a small smile.

“Thank you, David,” Ray says before standing. Patrick joins David on the sofa, getting back under the blanket with him. “I’m off to bed. Goodnight,” Ray tells them.

“Night, Ray,” David says.

“Uh, night,” Patrick says, confused. He waits until Ray is inside before asking, “What did I miss?”

“His pitch.”

**DAY 91**

“Good evening. I’m television’s Moira Rose,” Moira introduces herself to the camera as the broadcast begins. “Before we find out who of our worthy houseguests have earned a place in the final three, let’s see how the week went for Patrick, David, Stevie, and Ray.”

A montage of clips from the week begins to play as Moira summarizes the week. “After having to say farewell to alliance member Ted, Patrick won Head of Household. He wasn’t going to nominate beau David, so unfortunately for alliance member Stevie that meant she had to go up on the block next to Ray. Patrick went on to win the final Power of Veto—his fourth of the season—and kept his nominations the same. No surprise there!”

The montage ends, and Moira turns to the screen beside her showing the houseguests in the living room. “Now let’s check in with the houseguests… Hello, houseguests!”

The final four all greet Moira. Stevie and Ray are in the nomination chairs, while David and Patrick sit on opposite couches.

“Congratulations, Pa-trick,” Moira exclaims. “Yet another veto for the ‘Veto Victor.’ Tell me how does that feel?”

“Good, really good,” Patrick says, smiling at David. He doesn’t want to say more and risk offending Ray as he’s about to go into the jury house. Hopefully David’s smile in return means he understands what Patrick isn’t saying—that winning the veto was important because it kept David safe.

“Ray,” Moira calls out for his attention. “You did quite a bit of baking these past couple days. Hoping to sweeten up the competition?”

“Just doing something I enjoy, Moira,” Ray responds cheerfully.

“There is less than a week until finale night. What are you all looking forward to most?”

“No cameras,” Patrick says under his breath before raising his voice and saying, “My family.”

“I miss Alexis,” David agrees begrudgingly. “And my parents,” he adds at Moira’s expression.

Ray’s excited shout of “Work!” drowns out Stevie’s non-committal answer.

“Sit tight, houseguests. I’ll be back for the live eviction.” Turning back to the camera, Moira adds, “When we come back, we’ll check in on the jury house and see how they’re doing.”

*

“Welcome back,” Moira says when they come back to air. “The last we saw of the jury was before David battled his way back into the house. Let’s see how Alexis, Rachel, and Twyla are doing and how they reacted when Ronnie joined them, and then Alexis’s beau, Ted.”

-

“Who do you think is coming in next?” Twyla asks Rachel and Alexis as they sit at the table outside. 

“I think it could be Ronnie or Ray if any of the others won HoH,” Alexis says, moving her hair slightly off her shoulder. 

“I know who I’m _hoping_ it’ll be but I don’t think that will happen two weeks in a row,” Rachel tells them.

Alexis gasps. “You shady bitch.”

“Who’s the shady bitch?!” They hear making them all turn to see Ronnie making her way over in a fun, summery dress - it’s a dark navy blue with little flowers all over it.

“No!” Twyla announces, saddened to see her friend in the house. 

Ronnie walks over and hugs all three of them. As Twyla hugs her she says, “It wasn’t supposed to be you.” 

Ronnie agrees before joining them in the free spot next to Rachel. “Is this for me?” she asks, pointing to the extra drink on the table.

“It’s yours now,” Rachel tells her as Ronnie slides the margarita Alexis made over to her before taking a long sip.

“What happened?” Alexis asks her. “Spill the tea!”

“Who won HoH?” Twyla asks her.

Ronnie rolls her eyes, leaning her elbow on one of the arm rests. “Patrick,” she says reluctantly.

Alexis gasps. “Button got revenge for David,” she says before making a cute little pouty face. “How cute.”

“At my demise!” 

Alexis pulls back, leaning into her seat. “Who won veto?” Rachel asks next. 

“I can keep telling you or we can go watch it,” Ronnie answers.

_

They sit on the sofa as they watch the week unfold - just showing the competitions and ceremonies, a brief overview of who won and what happened. 

“I’m sorry it happened to you, Ronnie, but David and Patrick are dominating this game,” Alexis tells her when they finish. 

“They are,” Ronnie agrees. “We are all casualties of their game.”

“They didn’t evict me,” Alexis says, raising her right hand softly. 

“Uh yeah, Patrick did,” Twyla tells her. “I told you, I voted for you to stay.”

“I thought you were just saying that ’cause you didn’t want to hurt my feelings,” Alexis groans. “Patrick voted me out like for real?”

“Mhm,” Ronnie hums. 

Rachel nods. “I thought it would be a tie with Ted, Twyla, and Patrick voting for you to stay. That’s why I voted you out. I wanted David to be the tie breaker but somebody didn’t vote Stevie out and it definitely wasn’t Ted, and Twyla told me she wasn’t the one,” she tells her.

“David, Patrick, _and_ Stevie have been an alliance since the beginning. Did you not see Stevie’s comic in that veto?” Ronnie tells her.

“Third wheel,” Rachel supplies.

“That’s very upsetting but honestly - this has been his dream for like _ever_ and I only auditioned because he did and wanted to have some fun. Okay so I never told anyone this in the house but I live in Jocelyn’s town - well, and David and our parents,” she drops the bomb on them, pressing her lips together, waiting for their reaction.

“How?” Twyla asks, confused. 

Alexis explains what happened to them and finishes with, “That’s why I auditioned. Didn’t want to stay there alone - David would be on the show, our mom is hosting it. It’d just be me and my dad, all sad and alone in the motel room watching them on TV? Hell no,” she emphasizes by pressing her index finger to the table in front of them. “I knew I’d get on, look at me.”

“She’s got a point,” Ronnie says, waving at her physique as Alexis flips her hair over her shoulder and smirks. 

“I’m happy David has gotten this far and that he met people who can help him throughout. He wouldn’t have gotten this far if he stuck by my side the whole way,” Alexis says.

“Do you think he can win this game?” Twyla asks the group.

“One hundred percent,” Alexis comments.

Ronnie nods along. “Absolutely. He’s a great competitor.”

“How about we show you around?” Rachel asks, seemingly over everyone praising David. 

“Yes,” Ronnie says. They all stand to give Ronnie the tour of their cute jury house by the lake. 

-

The following week, the four women are standing in the kitchen around the kitchen island where they are picking at some snacks while drinking sangria. 

“It’s been so nice living with you all,” Twyla tells them. “But someone else is joining us any minute.”

“Who do you think it’s going to be?” Rachel asks. 

“I hope it’s one of the boys,” Ronnie tells them. “Stevie is the only woman left in that house. Don’t want all men to get to the end.”

“Did somebody page a doctor?” they hear Ted say as he walks into the room.

“Oh my God, Ted!” Alexis says as she rushes over to him, throwing herself in his arms. He catches her, wrapping her up tightly against him. She buries her face in his neck before he puts her down and they kiss softly on the lips. “You were supposed to make it to the end,” she says, poking his chest.

“I know, I just couldn’t get there,” he tells her. 

He greets the other women before they all sit down to watch as they are shown how Ray won HoH and Stevie won the veto, securing Ted on the block and him being evicted. 

“Wow,” Ronnie exclaims when it ends. “Even though Ray was HoH, those three still managed to stay this week.”

“They really are dominating this game,” Twyla adds.

“Oh definitely,” Ted nods. “I’m not upset though, I’m happy where I am,” he says, looking at Alexis and pulling her into him. 

“Ohhhh, Ted,” Alexis coos, booping his chest then nose. 

“At least two of them are making it to finale night,” Rachel notes. “If not all three.”

*

“It’s time for the live eviction,” Moira says. “Let’s tell the houseguests.” The camera pans to the living room. “Houseguests, the time has come. Ray, Stevie, you each have thirty seconds to convince David why you should stay. Ray, you may go first.”

Ray stands up clearing his throat. “Hello to my family! I miss you!” He turns to face David. “David, you already know why it would be better to keep me. Like you, Stevie is a fierce competitor. She is much more likely than I am to win the final HoH, and if you’d have an easier time beating me in the final two than beating her. Stevie hasn’t made as many enemies as you have, and she has won enough competitions to win the jury’s respect. If you want to win this game, your best shot is to save me.”

Ray sits down and Moira tells Stevie it’s her turn. She gets up and smiles awkwardly. “David, I really appreciate your friendship. Let’s finish what we started and win this.” Not needing to say anything to convince David, she sits back down instead of continuing.

“Can I have the rest of her time?” Ray asks.

“Imagine? No.” Moira exclaims, laughing. “David, as the only houseguest eligible to vote, please stand up and cast your vote. The evicted houseguest will have only a few moments to say his or her goodbyes. David…”

David stands up and faces the two nominees. “I’m sorry, but I have to evict you, Ray.”

“It’s official. Ray, you have been evicted from the Big Brother house,” Moira announces.

“It’s okay,” Ray assures David, hugging him and then Patrick and Stevie. “Good luck!” he says as he walks out the door, pushing it open hard so the final three can get a look to the studio outside.

“Oh my God,” David says. “Final three!” 

Patrick pulls him into a hug, and they both hold an arm out to Stevie to bring her in.

“Okay, enough. Let’s look at the wall.” Stevie leads them over to the memory wall. Ray’s picture fades to black and white, leaving only their three photos in color.

*

A little while later, they are let back downstairs from their confinement to the HoH room. As they walk down they see the set-up on the table. “Oh my God, is that champagne?” David exclaims as they near the table.

There is a bottle of champagne cooling on the table with a spread of cheeses and bread, and there are three silver, covered plates - their meals.

Patrick takes the bottle out of the cooling pot and pops it open, the three of them cheering when it opens. Patrick pours them each a glass. They hold them up high, and Patrick says, “To us, for making our day one dream a reality.”

“Cheers!” David and Stevie both say as the three of them clink their glasses together.

David practically moans around that first sip of champagne. They sit down and dig into their fancy meal as they talk about their journey to making it to the final three. Reminiscing on all their best moves in the game, all their funniest moments, and the moments that meant the most to them. 

Getting to this point in the game - to the final three - has been a dream for David since that very first season aired twenty years ago. Today, it became a reality.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who will win part one and two of the final three part HoH competition?  
> The jury deliberates on David, Patrick, and Stevie being in the final three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday!  
> This chapter is a long one so we hope you enjoy it!  
> Thank you for all your comments every week and for sticking with us through this journey, it means so much *alexis voice* 💖

**DAY 92**

Today is the beginning of heading to finale night. David’s dreamt of this moment for the last two decades. Today is where he will compete against his boyfriend and best friend to win the first part of the final HoH competition. David knows from watching the show that part 1 is always an endurance competition. He’s not sure if he’ll win this one but he’s going to try his hardest to. He will _not_ give up, not when he’s this close to winning the game. 

The three of them head to the backyard and see it set up like a graveyard. They’re dressed as zombies and are instructed to lay down on their marked graves so that the show could do some visual effects to make it look like they are rising from the dead. They do as instructed then have to walk towards their little stands like zombies. David’s never felt so stupid in his life but you gotta do what you gotta do. 

Once they’re standing on their little platforms, an eerie voice comes through the speakers in the yard, “Welcome to part one of the final three part Head of Household competition. Since this is the last HoH, everyone is eligible to compete. The winner of this competition will automatically advance to part three, where the winner of that competition will single handedly choose who will sit next to them on finale night. Get ready to hang on for dear life, or after life,” the voice does an evil laugh before continuing, “This competition is simple. The last zombie ghost on their disk will win the first part of the final HoH competition and fly directly to part three. Get ready to play [_BB Scary Go Round_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNwb1PUpAsM).”

The three of them head onto the giant mat on the other side of the yard before stepping onto their own disks. David grabs onto the rope as he tries to find a good position to stand on the tiny disk, while also holding the rope comfortably. 

Once all three of them are on their disks and are ready, they get pulled up into the air, and David tries not to look down as he holds onto his rope, trying not to fall. They start spinning around the area, each of them hitting the giant moon shaped object before being thrust into a wall. David hits the wall pretty hard but tries not to let go or lose his balance this early in the game. He groans when he hits the wall and Patrick calls out, “You okay, David?”

“Fine,” he tells him.

Stevie crosses one arm over the other, using the inside of her elbow to hold onto the rope so her hands don’t hurt or get sore too quickly. As she approaches the moon again, she angles her body so that she glides over it instead of hitting it, this also helps her to avoid the wall completely, only slightly grazing by it. Stevie figures out her strategy to win this competition. If she can continue to avoid bashing into the objects, maybe she won’t lose so much energy and can outlast David and Patrick.

After only the BB Gods know how much time has passed, they hear the spooky voice again, “I call on the spirits far and wide, to give these houseguests a faster ride,” before laughing so evilly. 

They start spinning around faster and David tries not to think about it too much. The height alone is not working well for him but now the speed? He’s just trying not to get sick.

Patrick stands back up on his disk from where he had been crouching and he gets knocked into the wall hard. He groans but other than that is fine, not having slipped off. David is next to be thrust really hard into the wall because of the new speed and he says, “Oh God, I’m gonna throw up.”

“You’re okay, it’s okay,” Patrick tells him. “Just find a spot to focus on and you’ll be fine.”

David nods trying to take his boyfriend's advice. He doesn’t want to get sick and already be out of this competition, this is his dream. 

The voice returns as it starts to say some kind of weird chant. They see a cauldron that starts bubbling and the voice adds, “Try some witches brew,” before some green slime starts squirting out at them, covering them in it as they fly by.

“Oh my _God_ ,” David complains after it hits the side of his face and all along his body. “Ew, ew, ew, ew.”

“Are you kidding me?” Stevie complains when it covers her completely. She uses a clean part of her shirt to wipe at her face quickly. Everything is slippery now and Stevie just tries to continue holding on like she’s been doing and avoiding smacking into the objects.

Patrick crouches back down on his disk trying to get comfortable but it’s not working. Now that the slime is all over him, he feels like he might slip off at any moment, his arms and hands are exhausted, and his leg muscles feel like they’re going to give up soon. He gets back up as he approaches the moon so his entire body doesn’t slam into it. It knocks him right at the feet and he goes flying off of his disk and onto the mat below. 

“Patrick, you have been eliminated from the competition and will have to compete in part two of the final three part HoH competition,” the voice announces. 

“Are you okay?” David calls out to him. 

Patrick groans, pissed that he couldn’t hang on longer than that. “Fine,” he tells him before rolling off of the mat to go sit off to the side. He takes a towel that’s left for them there and wipes his face clean of the slime. He sits down to watch as David and Stevie continue to hold on, spinning around, and competing to win this first part of the competition.

Stevie feels bad now that Patrick is out of the competition. She’s now directly competing with her ride or die in this game and it doesn’t sit well with her. It’s not enough to get her to drop out though. She wants this win. She knows she can beat David in this competition. She won’t win against Patrick in the second part of the HoH. David told them that the second competition is usually a physical one and knowing how strong Patrick is, she won’t win against him. She’s sure that if David had to compete against Patrick that Patrick would throw it so David could compete against her in part three. He wouldn’t do the same for her, so she doesn’t give up. She continues to hold on the way she has since the beginning of this competition, and she continues to angle herself to avoid smacking into the moon and wall. 

She notices that David is struggling, he definitely doesn’t do well with heights, plus the spinning, she’s sure he’s really not feeling well. His eyes are closed and he’s just trying to hold on for dear life. 

“You’re doing great, guys,” Patrick tells them from the sidelines. “You got this, David.”

“Please shhh,” David tells him and Stevie feels bad, he’s really struggling. She needs this though. She needs to win part one so that she can automatically advance to part three. She knows Patrick will not take her to the final two and though David _says_ he’ll take her, the only guarantee that she’ll be in the final two is if she wins the final HoH competition herself and takes herself. To accomplish that, she needs to first win this competition.

More time passes as the spinning slows then speeds up, more slime comes squirting out at them, and Stevie’s arms are shaking a lot. She’s impressed David has continued to hold on for this long. She tries to only focus on herself but can’t help but look over at David. 

David’s arms are sore, he keeps alternating by holding onto the rope by his hands or by the inside of his elbows. His legs are killing him and he keeps almost slipping because of the damn slime. He wishes Stevie would fall because he does not want to have to compete against Patrick in the physical competition. Patrick is guaranteed to win that one and David _needs_ to compete in part three. As his mind works overtime, his foot slides a little too far on his disk and he goes falling onto the mat below.

“Congratulations, Stevie, you have won part one of the final HoH competition and will advance to part three,” the eerie voice announces. 

Stevie lets herself fall down and after a few moments of just laying there she sees David crawling to her. They hug each other as he congratulates her on her win. 

Patrick brings them both their clean towels, congratulating Stevie, before he wraps David up in his towel, kissing him on the lips softly. “You did great,” he whispers to him.

“That was so fucking hard,” David says.

“It really was,” Stevie agrees. 

“I don’t know how you both held on for so long. I’m very impressed,” Patrick tells them.

Production allows them back inside but before they can clean up they each have to do a diary entry about the competition. David just wants to shower and curl up in bed, but thankfully he’s first so he goes into the DR and sits on the chair in front of the camera.

He talks as if he’s still in the competition - mentioning how gross the slime is, how dizzy he felt, how hard he kept smacking into the objects. 

“Losing to Stevie sucks but only because now I have to compete against Patrick in part two, which, from Big Brother history, is always a physical competition. There’s no way I’m going to beat him. If I don’t win, my fate lies in the hands of my allies and competition. They both have told me they would take me to the final two but in this game, nothing is a sure thing. All I can do is win part two. Sorry Patrick, I love you but you’re going down.”

*

With summer ending, there’s a slight chill in the air that night as the three of them sit outside, waiting for the sun to finish setting. On one couch are David and Patrick, both leaning against each other, Patrick’s head tucked into the crook of David’s neck, David’s resting on his. Slouched on the couch kitty corner to theirs, Stevie is angled so that with her legs extended, she can rest her feet in David’s lap. At first, he considered pushing her away, and under normal circumstances, he definitely would have, but he’s wearing his second least favorite pair of shorts and playing with the fraying shoelaces on her shoes is a good distraction.

“I can’t believe we’re almost done here,” Stevie sighs.

Patrick and David are quick to murmur their agreement, having just had this conversation days earlier. Now with the first part of the final HoH competition behind them, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore how close they are to walking out the front door back to their lives.

“What are you most looking forward to?” Patrick asks. Stevie’s evasion of Moira’s question during the live show may have gone unnoticed by the host, but it didn’t slip Patrick’s attention. 

“Dunno,” Stevie says, shrugging. “A nice, cold beer,” she finally says. “Hint hint, production.”

“Ooo, polar bear shots,” David adds.

“Do you miss work?” Patrick asks Stevie, trying a different angle to get her to open up.

She snorts at that. “Do I miss sitting behind a desk all day, only getting up to make beds and unclog toilets? I think I can go a little longer.”

“I hope you’re better than the girl at the front desk where I live,” David says. He tugs on one end of a shoelace, unraveling the bow. “She won’t bring me towels no matter how many times I ask.”

“Don’t blame her. You sound annoying,” Stevie says, but there’s no bite behind her words.

“Well, if you want to swap one crappy motel for another, you’re always welcome at mine,” David says, beginning to carefully re-tie her laces.

Patrick watches the emotions play out across Stevie’s face— surprise gives way to a pleased smile before she schools her features into disinterest. 

“If I’m going to be stuck in a run down motel, I’d rather it be my aunt’s.”

“Oh...kay.” David shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

They fall silent after that. Stevie moves her feet off of David, moving to tuck them underneath her as she sits up on the couch.

“This is weird,” she says after the silence stretches on a little too long. “Us having to compete against each other now.” David makes a winced face, which at least amuses her enough to crack a smile. “Isn’t it?”

“Definitely,” David agrees. “We’ve been in this together since day one and now we’re each other’s competition.”

“I don’t know,” Patrick starts off, considering the idea. “Yeah, we’re competing against each other for final HoH, but I like to think we’re competing _with_ each other.”

“Same difference,” Stevie says. Looking at David, she adds, “Your boyfriend is a dork.”

“A very cute one, though,” he replies, placing a kiss on the top of Patrick’s head, patting his thigh.

Patrick stills David’s hand with one of his own, lacing their fingers together. He watches Stevie as she observes the instinctive movement. “Everything okay?” he asks her, prompting her to draw her attention from their hands to his face.

“Just wondering how you two are going to manage to say goodbye to each other without making a scene,” she answers dryly, shrugging off his concern.

“Oh, we’re definitely hanging around LA for a little longer,” David says. “We’re not going to say goodbye right away.”

"Sounds fun… I'm going to go get ready for bed,” she says getting up, not waiting for a response before she heads into the house.

“How about you?” David asks, leaning in closer to Patrick. “Ready for bed?”

“Actually…” Patrick trails off, glancing back in the direction Stevie left. “I was thinking, maybe–” he pauses, hesitant.

David straightens up. “What? You’re scaring me.”

“Sorry,” Patrick’s quick to apologize. “I was thinking maybe we should invite Stevie to join us tonight.”

“Join us?!” David shifts away from his boyfriend. “You want Stevie and us to…” Instead of finishing, he makes a complicated gesture with his hands that takes Patrick a second too long to understand, his silence worrying David more.

“No, no, no,” Patrick reassures him. “Not– no. Not that. Absolutely not.”

David visibly relaxes at that before realizing he has no clue what Patrick was trying to say then. “What did you mean?”

“Doesn’t she seem sad to you? Like she’s not ready for this to end?” Patrick questions him. “I think she’s going to miss you.”

“I don’t blame her,” David says cockily before sincerely adding, “I’m going to miss her, too.”

“I’m getting you to myself for a bit once the show is over. I don’t need to hog you right now.” Patrick shrugs. “I figured we can invite her to stay in our room tonight, like a slumber party.”

“That’s very sweet,” David says, a smirk giving way to a full smile. “Even if the term slumber party evokes images of preteens braiding hair and gossiping about secret crushes.”

“My secret crush isn’t so secret,” Patrick counters with a smirk. “And you know you’d love to hear me talk about you all night.”

“Maybe so,” David admits. “But I’m sure you have other crushes you could mention if you want to take a break from talking about me. Like a celebrity or someone.”

“Weren’t you in some of the Rose Video instructional videos?” Patrick grins. “You are my celebrity crush. Besides, I’ll never want a break from you.”

“Okay, you can’t just say stuff like that!” David’s face flushes, and he tilts his head back, biting back a smile.

“Too late.” Patrick cups his chin and brings his face towards him. 

David wraps his arms around Patrick’s torso, pulling him in as their mouths meet, hungry for the contact before they have to behave themselves in front of their friend tonight.

“Seriously?” Stevie’s voice breaks them apart sooner than either would like. “I was gone for, like, five minutes.”

“Sorry, Stevie,” Patrick says, at least looking sheepish for getting caught unlike David with his sly grin. “Had to get it out now because we want to invite you to a slumber party in our room tonight.”

“A slumber party? What are we going to do– do each other’s hair and talk about boys?” Stevie asks, folding her arms.

“That’s what I said!” David exclaims, letting go of his hold on Patrick. He gets up and pulls gently on one of Stevie’s arms towards the house. “But this isn’t a bad idea. I have a mask that’ll get rid of your excess oil.”

“Sounds fun,” Stevie mutters, but Patrick happily notices the smile she tries to hide. One less night alone with David is worth giving up if it means helping make sure David’s friendship is on solid ground.

*

“Is it supposed to itch this much?” Stevie asks, scratching her nose.

“Stop it!” David admonishes her, swatting her finger away from her face and the face mask drying on it. “Your pores were practically screaming for my help. So, yes. Probably.”

“Well that’s reassuring,” Stevie replies dryly.

The two of them are on one of the empty beds, David having just finished applying the face mask to both of their faces. Patrick’s busying himself in the kitchen making snacks for their night. He’s not as stealth as he thinks he is; Stevie knows he’s trying to give her and David some time alone. His idea of a slumber party was nice, current pain aside, and although it wasn’t necessary for him to leave them completely alone, she is enjoying getting some one-on-one with David.

“I think you’re my best friend,” David says suddenly. He looks away when Stevie raises an eyebrow at him.

“You think? What gave you that idea? The fact that everyone has been calling us best friends?”

“No, not just my house best friend,” David explains, making eye contact with her again. “Like, my real best friend. I can’t know for sure, um, because I’m realizing now that I don’t think I’ve ever really had one.”

“What about Patrick?” Stevie asks.

“Patrick is… Patrick,” David struggles to explain. “He’s– I don’t even know how to explain him. Sometimes I still have a hard time believing he’s real and not some made up fantasy I created.”

“David–”

“–That’s not what this conversation is about,” David cuts her off. “Patrick means a lot to me, but what I have with him doesn’t change what I have with you. You’re my friend, my best friend. And just because I’m planning _a lot_ of alone time with Patrick in the near future…” He trails off smiling wistfully. “And in the far future, too, doesn’t mean that our friendship is going to end as soon as the game does.”

If Patrick’s intentional absence didn’t already make it obvious, David’s little speech definitely did. He sees her—they both do. They know there’s a fear simmering low in her that she’s the third wheel in the friendship, that she’ll be no use to either of them once the game is over. But she’s lucky to have made two friends who care about her enough to make sure she knows that’s the case.

“Okay, well if we’re being honest,” Stevie replies. “I don’t think I’ve ever had one either.”

They share a smile before David says, “This would be a really sweet moment if what we just admitted to each other wasn’t so sad.”

“Knock knock,” Patrick says, doing his best Ray impression as he walks into the room. In one hand, he’s holding a big bowl of popcorn, bags of candy sandwiched tightly between his arm and torso. In his other, there’s a bowl of snack mix, and three sodas are wedged against his body. “Maybe I should go make something else,” he says, eyeing Stevie trying to scratch her face again.

“Not so fast, Brewer.” Stevie jumps up to help him put down the snacks and drinks before he drops any. “If I have to do this, so do you. You’d better get used to it. He’ll probably have you doing this daily.”

“That’d dry his skin out way too much,” David retorts. “And have you seen his pretty face? He doesn’t need it. Don’t be jealous his pores aren’t the size of Texas like yours.” David pulls Patrick to sit next to him. “But a mask wouldn’t hurt. After some snacks.”

Stevie holds the popcorn bowl away from David, sticking her tongue out at him when he pouts. She may still have no idea how the rest of the HoH competitions will go and which two of them will be the last two standing, but tonight is going a long way in proving that it doesn’t matter. They’ll be okay after no matter what happens.

**DAY 93**

When David walks into the backyard for [part two of the last HoH competition](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTcaYhvyZL0), his heart sinks. There’s a [giant crossword puzzle](https://twitter.com/BellaFarella/status/1364584614682128389?s=19) on a wall, the clues covered with a drop cloth. He knows this competition. He loves this competition. But that was from the comfort of his couch, when he could solve the clues without having to place the letters. He’s going to have to scale this wall to fill out the puzzle, something he knows Patrick will excel at and he will not. Even solving the puzzles will be easy for Patrick. He’s a self-proclaimed crossword fiend, and from their study sessions, David knows Patrick knows the game inside and out just as much as he does. 

David may already be at a disadvantage, but he’s not about to give up that easily. He heads over to the buzzer where there’s an instruction card propped. He picks it up and reads, “Here’s how it works— once you have figured out the answer to a clue, grab the letter tiles for your answer. Then climb onto the crossword puzzle and place the letters in the correct positions. Once you’ve correctly filled in all the answers, the houseguest who solves the crossword puzzle and then hits the bell in the fastest time will win part two of the three-part Head of Household competition. Now get into position and face away from the puzzle because it’s time to reveal the clues.”

After he’s in the harness connected to the wall, a bag to hold letters in over his shoulder, and facing with his back to the giant puzzle, he hears the drop cloth fall, revealing the clues. A buzzer sounds off, letting him know his time has begun. He turns around to face the crossword, ready with his strategy. He’s going to fill in the longer words first, to make it easier to fill in the surrounding words.

“Two down,” he reads, going after one of the longer words. “When Twyla went home.” 

It’s too long to be week nine, so he automatically knows the answer has to be double eviction. He finds the letter boards to fill out the answer, placing them in his bag. With the easy part over, he takes a deep breath and starts to climb up the puzzle. He’s a little worried that maybe he should’ve started lower down on the puzzle to get used to it, but after a few missteps, he has the hang of it down. He was smart enough to put the letters into the bag in the correct order, so he’s able to pull them out one by one and place them where they go.

Back on the ground, he looks for another long word. “Fifteen across. Gwen’s HoH win.” The letter t is already filled in from double eviction, so he mentally fills in the name of the HoH competition she won to make sure it fits. After confirming it does, he finds the letters and climbs the puzzle to place them.

He decides to start working off the words he already has after that. “Sixteen down. Number of times HoH won veto. Starts with an F.” Either four or five would fit, and he doesn’t want to waste time counting out how many times the Head of Household won the veto competition the same week, so he decides to leave that until the end when he can figure out the answer from the remaining letter tiles.

“Eleven down, evicted unanimously.” Although that’s happened more than once this season, only Miguel’s name will fit, so he makes quick work of finding the right letters and getting them up on the puzzle.

He’s starting to get winded, but he’s barely started on the puzzle so he pushes himself forward. “Eight down, Rachel’s hiding spot. Ends with an L.” That could mean where she found the diamond power of veto, but he’s not sure what word would fit. And then he remembers. It’s not the diamond power of veto; it’s the golden power of veto from week three. “Hide and Go Veto!” he shouts out the name of the competition. Rachel competed that week, and she was the one to hide her veto in the...cereal box, he remembers excitedly.

The next clue he goes for isn’t easy. “Seven down. A have-not week evicted.” Luckily, the letter N is already filled out, so he’s able to deduce the answer is Jocelyn.

Nine across is easy—who was on the block against Klair—and he only needs to fill in two letters, so he decides to save himself a trip and waits to fill the answer in at the same time as the next one.

“Twelve across. First jury member.” David knows the answer immediately, of course, still upset with how that week turned out. He gets the letters and climbs the puzzle, filling in both answers at once.

Fourteen down is another easy one—who won the tiebreaker in Name That Speech—where he only has to fill in two letters, so he waits again to fill it in. He’d know the answer even if he couldn’t see how many letters are in the name. He’s the one who _lost_ the tiebreaker, which led to him being nominated against Stevie. If Patrick didn’t win veto that week, he could be sitting in the jury house right now.

“Seventeen across. Eliminated by Stevie in Most Likely To,” he reads the next clue. That was the week six HoH competition, which he won. Stevie eliminated two houseguests in that competition but only one name fits, so he grabs the letters and moves quickly to fill in that and the answer to fourteen down.

David’s halfway done, and he thinks he’s making good time. But the remaining words are all near the top of the puzzle, which means more time spent climbing. He’s going to have to hustle to make sure he doesn’t take too much longer to finish. 

He loves Patrick and wouldn’t be _upset_ if he wins. He knows Patrick, and he’s pretty sure Stevie for that matter, would pick David to go to the final two. But just because he trusts Patrick that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to win this himself. This has been his goal for decades. He wants to compete in the final part of the final head of household competition. And he wants to win, proving to the jury and everyone else that he deserves to win Big Brother.

With a renewed focus, he looks for the next clue. “Six across. David was the only player this season to win this. Starts with a B.” Of course he knows the answer is battle back because it was only played once and he won, earning his way back into the house after his eviction, another reason he deserves to win this season.

Off of that answer is four down—eliminated fourth in Ready, Set, Woah. He’s pretty sure he’ll never forget the order of eliminations for the punishment veto competition in week four. Rachel was eliminated fifth, taking the lock and key punishment from him—securing what felt like longer than twenty-four hours handcuffed to David’s boyfriend, while giving him the cheerleader unitard. But eliminated right before her was Patrick. It’s silly, but seeing their answers intersect on the crossword makes him a little giddy. At least giddy enough to soothe the sting of the memory of Patrick miserably stuck by Rachel’s side for a day. 

David breezes through the next clue— three down, dizzy bowling—filling in the name of the veto competition Stevie won during David’s HoH in week six. 

When he sees the next clue, he assumes the answer is himself. “One down. Celebrated birthday in house. That’s me,” he says with a smile, remembering his birthday, the day that he and Patrick went from friends to more. But when he looks at the crossword puzzle, he realizes his name won’t fit. The third to last letter, a B, is filled in from the battle back answer. None of the houseguests’ names will fit, confusing him until he remembers that the veto competition that brought Zingbot into the house was a birthday party for him. Grabbing the letters to spell out Zingbot’s name, David climbs the puzzle to fill in the answer.

“Five down. Mama Bear, Puninator, Door Destroyer. Those are all BB Comics,” he says, figuring out the answer to the next clue. He decides to wait to climb the crossword again, wanting to fill in the final three clues at once.

“Thirteen across. _Jake-quila_ …” He grabs the letters to make up the rest of the name of Jake’s speciality drink from the OTEV veto competition that Patrick won in week eight. Even if it was a powerless win because of Rachel’s diamond power of veto, it was another win under Patrick’s belt. David’s proud of how much Patrick won this summer. He definitely deserves to be in the final three—and the final two. Stevie does, too. Even if her moves were more behind-the-scenes than Patrick’s and his own, she was integral to them making it this far. They all deserve it. But there’s only room for two of them in the finale.

“Ten down. First to fall during The Wall. Ends in a T,” David reads off his last clue. He grabs the remaining letters to fill in Mutt’s name and places them in his bag, careful to not mess up the order. He climbs the crossword puzzle, filling in the three answers as quickly as he can.

When David’s back on the ground, he thinks he’s finished and is ready to hit his buzzer. But then he remembers he still has sixteen down to finish. Looking at the remaining letter tiles, it’s clear which is the correct answer to how many HoHs won veto in the same week, so he quickly places the letters on the puzzle, and once he’s back on the ground, he runs to the buzzer, hitting it to lock in his time.

Even if he doesn’t win this competition, he knows he did the best he could. He pushed himself to move as quickly as possible and didn’t make any mistakes. There was no way he could have gotten a quicker time. Hopefully it was enough to win.

*

After both David and Patrick have taken their separate turns completing the second part of the HoH competition, they’re back outside with Stevie. Standing in front of the board with their times covered up, she smiles at them. “Let’s see how you did.”

David’s so focused on the board that he flinches when Patrick reaches out to take his hand, squeezing it. Patrick starts to let go, but David holds on to him. They’re in this together, no matter which one of them won. 

“David, you finished in…” Stevie trails off dramatically as she slowly peels off the cover of his time. “Twenty-six minutes and thirteen seconds!”

It’s longer than he thought. He was sure he was closer to twenty minutes. With his confidence shaken, he’s sure Patrick won. There’s no way it took Patrick longer than that to finish. It’s okay, he tells himself. He can put aside his own disappointment and happily cheer on his boyfriend and his best friend during the last part of the competition.

“Okay, Patrick,” Stevie gets their attention again as she starts to reveal his score. “Your time was… Thirty minutes and twenty-seven seconds! Which means, congratulations, David. You won the second part of the final HoH competition!”

“Oh my God,” David says, not believing it. “I- I won?”

“You did it!” Their hands still connected, Patrick pulls him in for a hug, wrapping his other arm around him to hold him close. “Congratulations.”

Stevie runs up to them, joining their hug. “David! Congrats!”

*

As the winner, David’s the first one in the diary room to discuss the competition. He describes his process and how he knew answers, and then starts to answer the producer’s question about how he feels.

“I’m going to play in the final part! I could be the final HoH!” He beams, still in disbelief that his dream is so close to coming true. “I can’t believe I beat Patrick. I can’t believe I beat him by almost five minutes!” David’s smile slowly starts to slip away. “I can’t believe it,” he repeats. “It doesn’t make any sense. Did he… did he throw the competition to me?”

He leans back, feeling a little defeated. He wanted to win, but he didn’t want to have it handed to him. Throwing a competition now isn’t like earlier in the game. Giving an HoH win to someone you trust so you don’t have to get blood on your hands and can play in the next HoH competition, making sure an ally wins veto so they won’t be named the replacement nominee when you’re removed from the block— it’s always strategic. But now— now it’s just pure emotion. 

And it’s sweet of Patrick to want him to win so much that he’d throw away his own chances. If he really did throw the competition, that is. But it’s something David would’ve never asked him to do, and hopes he really didn’t. He wants to go into finale night knowing he truly earned his place.

*

Stevie waits until Patrick takes his turn in the diary room to talk to David alone. “Oh my God, David!” She gently punches him in the arm. “You won! I feel bad for Patrick, but this is exactly what we wanted on day one,” she says.

“Mhm, yes, it is,” he says with less enthusiasm than she expects.

“What?”

“What what?” David asks instead of answering her question.

“What’s going on? You just won. You should be a lot happier.”

David bites his lip and glances at the closed door to the diary room before answering her. “Do you think Patrick threw the competition? Doesn’t it seem odd that I beat him? By _that much_?”

 _Oh_. It’s not that David isn’t happy he won. It’s that he’s not sure he deserves it. “Come here.” She motions for him to follow her to the table. “Sit.” She waits until he follows her to continue. “Patrick is a hell of a competitor. But you are, too. You’re up there next to him with competition wins.”

“But this is one he should’ve won,” David argues. “It was practically tailored for him. Crosswords and climbing?”

“Maybe he couldn’t figure out the answers fast enough. Maybe he fell—”

“—Do you think so?” David interrupts. “Did you see him limping? Did he look hurt? Why didn’t he say something?”

Stevie’s mouth widens at David’s immediate panic. “Calm down. He’s fine.”

“Then why would you say something like that?!”

“I don’t know I was trying to make you feel better!” Stevie’s at a loss for what else to say.

David folds his arms, frowning. “Well, it could use some work,” he says, causing Stevie to roll her eyes. 

“The bedroom is all yours. Talk to him tonight,” she suggests. “You can’t just sweep this under the rug. It’s clearly bothering you.”

“You don’t mind?” David asks.

Stevie snorts. “Last night was plenty of nighttime bonding for me. I could hear you two giggling after you thought I was asleep.”

“We weren’t doing anything!”

Patrick exits the diary room, cutting off Stevie’s chance to tell David she doesn’t believe him. “Just talk to him,” she mutters quickly before Patrick finishes walking over to them.

“You’re up,” Patrick tells her as he sits down next to David.

She’s not sure what they expect her to say; she didn’t even compete. She tells David and Patrick as much, and Patrick shrugs. “Maybe they want you to say how afraid you are to compete against David,” he teases, placing a kiss on David’s cheek.

Stevie has only one thought as she heads into the diary room. It may not be clear whether or not Patrick threw the competition to David, but she definitely won’t.

*

Patrick’s almost asleep by the time David climbs into bed that night after finishing his nighttime routine. He jostles the bed, causing Patrick to stir. “I’m up. I’m up,” Patrick mumbles into the pillow.

“Don’t get up on my account,” David laughs. “Go to sleep. You’re obviously tired.”

“Sorry, long day.” Patrick sits up and runs a hand across his face. “But I don’t want to sleep. I want to celebrate your win. I’m so proud of you.”

“Mmm, thanks.”

Patrick’s confused at the look that flashes across David’s face. He’s obviously conflicted about something. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

David bites his lip. Without pausing between words, he quickly asks, “Did you throw it to me?”

“What?” Not fully awake, Patrick has a hard time understanding what he’s asking.

“Never mind. Forget I asked,” David tries to end the conversation.

“No, I just didn’t hear what you said.” Patrick refuses to let David pretend like something isn’t bothering him right now. “What’s wrong?” he asks again.

“Did you…” David sighs. “Did you throw the competition to me?”

Patrick’s silent, not sure of how to respond, and David seems to take that as all the confirmation he needs. “Thought so. Okay.”

“No,” Patrick says quickly, snapping out of it. “That’s not–” He falters. “I didn’t,” he tries again. “Not on purpose, at least,” he says finally.

“How does one throw a competition not on purpose?” David asks.

“I know I could’ve done a lot better,” Patrick confesses. “So yeah, I guess I didn’t try my hardest to win. I kept thinking about how it should be you playing in the final HoH, how you should be the final HoH. And that’s when I kept making honest mistakes. I wasted time searching for a missing letter tile, not realizing it was in my bag the whole time. I dropped one and had to go back down to pick it up and climb back up.” He can practically see the tension leave David’s body at Patrick’s explanation.

“I was worried I didn’t deserve to win,” David confesses.

“I know how much this means to you. I promise you, you’re the rightful winner.” It’s true even if Patrick wasn’t motivated to win in the first place.

David studies his face before nodding. “Okay, I believe you. I’m sorry you didn’t win.”

Patrick understands what he’s really saying. Winning the final HoH was his only guarantee to make it to the final two. Stevie will pick David, and David… he made promises to more than just Patrick. “I’m not. If anyone deserves to win anything, it’s you,” Patrick says. “There’s no better player this season. Or in Big Brother history, probably.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” David grins. “There have been some really great players. You’d know if you’d seen all the seasons.”

“Agree to disagree,” Patrick says, wrapping an arm around David. “And we can watch all the old seasons together.”

“The romcom classics are first,” David warns him. “And then I can bring your BB knowledge up to speed.”

“Sounds perfect.” Patrick shifts so he can reach David’s neck with his lips, kissing his favorite spot. He kisses a path towards David’s lips, having to pull away in the last second to yawn.

“Okay, time to sleep.” David pushes him gently until he’s on his back.

Patrick tries to protest but he yawns again so he grumbles, “Fine,” and rolls on to his side so David can spoon him. “Love you.” He’s faintly aware of David returning the sentiment as he starts to drift off to sleep, David’s arm around him, his hand over his heart.

**DAY 94**

It's been weird living in this big house without anyone else. David said he's used to it because of his past, they grew up in a huge mansion without their parents around most of the time, but Patrick is not used to it. He had a very nice home growing up but it was always filled with people - either it was just him and his parents or they'd have his cousins and aunts and uncles over, his grandparents, family friends, anyone really. Patrick doesn't remember a time where his house felt so empty as the Big Brother house feels now. 

"What do you think the jury is doing?" He asks David and Stevie where they lounge by the pool - David with his feet in the pool, Patrick standing in between his legs in the pool, and Stevie hiding in the shade in her giant black hat. 

"Probably talking about us," David says.

"Conceded much?" Stevie quips.

David rolls his eyes. "It's a fact. They need to start deliberating on the final three to decide what questions they're going to want to ask the final two and to start discussing who they think has played the best game," he informs them.

*

The jury sits in comfortable chairs in an open circle. There's one seat that's empty, waiting for that final person to join before finale night. 

"Who do you think it's going to be?" Twyla asks the group. She's sitting next to the free seat and on her other side is Rachel, across from them Ted, Alexis, and Ronnie sit. 

"I think it's going to be Ray," Ted comments. 

"I was going to say the same thing," Alexis says, booping his nose with the tip of her finger.

"If either of those three won both of those competitions then without a doubt Ray will be walking in any minute," Ronnie tells them. 

"Knock knock!" Ray calls out as he makes his way into the room.

"Told yall," Ronnie mutters. They all stand and hug Ray one by one before he takes the seat next to Twyla.

"What happened?" Rachel asks from over Twyla.

"Patrick won HoH and nominated me and Stevie," he informs them.

"Wow, Patrick is a comp beast," Rachel comments.

"Naturally he didn't nominate David," Alexis says.

"Of course," Ray tells her. "Then Patrick won the veto and David was the sole vote to evict me."

The room all mutter "wow", not able to hide how impressed they are.

"So now that you're here, Ray… what do we think of the final three?" Twyla asks the group.

"I'm so proud of them," Alexis starts. "They've been a trio since the beginning and they've taken everyone out and are going to finale."

"I agree," Ted notes. "I've worked closely with David and Patrick for most of the game and I never thought they were working with Stevie too. They played the game very strategically."

"Speaking of Stevie," Ronnie adds. "Does anyone think she's done enough on her own to win the game?"

"I do," Rachel says. They all look at her so she continues, "Stevie has worked closely with a showmance, and was even in one in the beginning of the game and yet it never made her a target. The only time she was a target was when I used the diamond veto to nominate her and Alexis but that was because I wanted David to have to choose and get back at him. Stevie's never been a personal threat to anyone in the house."

"I nominated her, but you're right, I wanted David to be eliminated," Ray tells the room. "Stevie has played a very good game. She's won competitions, she’s had a strong alliance to keep her safe, and she was well liked by everyone."

"That's true," Ronnie notes. "What about David?"

"David has played the _best_ game this season," Ted tells the room. "Not only has he been in a showmance but he was in a very strong alliance with Patrick and Stevie, as well as myself, Alexis, and Patrick. He was well liked by everyone, apart from Rachel -"

"That's right," she butts in.

"And he's won a lot of competitions to keep himself and his allies safe," Ted finishes off. 

"Not because he's my brother," Alexis tells them, "But I agree. Overall, David has played the best game this season."

"I think Patrick's played a very good game overall as well, maybe even better than David," Twyla pipes in. 

Ronnie rolls her eyes. "How so?"

"Well, he's also been in strong alliances that's gotten him to the end. He's in a showmance with David. He's won more competitions than anyone this season, and he's so sweet."

"He's a button," Alexis agrees. "If he's in the final two against David, it'll be a very close call."

The room nods agreeing about that. Ronnie raises her hand and says, "I have a question… what will you be looking for in the final two's answers to help you determine who should win?"

"I will be looking to see how they articulate their achievements," Ray tells them. "The person who is able to tell us point blank why they deserve to win, what they've done to deserve it, without stumbling over their words or repeating things."

"Oh that's good," Ronnie agrees. 

"I'll be looking to see how they can differentiate what they've done personally to deserve the win without calling on their partners to help," Rachel says. "We know the three of them have worked together this entire game but what did they do _personally_ to help them get to the finale?"

"Yes, smart," Twyla agrees.

"I think that we have the best final three," Alexis tells them and the group snickers. "Okay, _obviously_ we all thought we'd be in the finale but they beat us. They completely dominated this game and I'm very impressed by all three of them."

Some of the others nod, agreeing, they have to give it to them, they did play phenomenal games.

"So, are we ready to come up with some questions to ask them?" Ted asks.

The group agrees so they get to work on choosing the best questions to ask the potential final two on why they think they should be the winner of Big Brother.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finale night in the Big Brother house and David & Stevie will face off in part 3 of the final three-part HoH competition. The winner will decide who they will sit next to in the finale and who will be joining the jury.  
> The jury will get a chance to grill the final two before casting their votes for the winner of Big Brother.  
> The votes will be revealed and a new winner of Big Brother will be named. Also, find out who America has voted as their favorite player of the season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! We honestly cannot believe that the end is upon us. We've been working on this fic since June 2020 so to finally see it ending is really bittersweet for us. We love you guys so much for following along and leaving us comments every week, it truly means so much!  
> This is the last chapter of the game, there will be one last chapter to show where our favorite houseguests have ended up post-BB, so this one is the longest chapter yet at just over 12k words.  
> We hope you enjoy it, and thank you for the ride! ❤

**DAY 97: Finale Night**

Finale night is here and David can’t believe it’s finally come. He’s dreamt of being here for years and for it to finally be happening is something he’s never going to forget. Especially that he gets to be here with the love of his life, and his best friend. 

The final three get ready for the day, enjoying their last moments in this house before the night will begin and one of their lives will change forever by being crowned the winner of Big Brother. David takes forever to choose an outfit. He had one in mind the entire season but now he’s second guessing himself. He wants - no, he _needs_ to look amazing. If he wins, this will be the outfit he’s in and it cannot be the wrong choice. He finally goes with his black jeans and his black and white sweater that says ‘LOVE’ in the middle of an intricate heart pattern.

Patrick walks into the room, David turning around to face him. “You look great,” Patrick tells him, walking towards him and wrapping him in his arms.

David places his arms on Patrick’s shoulders and smiles at him softly, twisting up at the corner of his mouth. “So do you,” he tells him. Patrick’s wearing his light purple button up shirt and his dark jeans that curve his ass _perfectly_. 

Patrick leans up to press their lips together, “Mmm,” he says into the kiss. “I think we’ll be starting soon.”

David groans, “I’m not ready.”

“Yes, you are,” Patrick reassures him. “You’ve got this.”

David takes a deep breath before nodding. He’s got this.

The two of them join Stevie who’s in the kitchen. “Don’t you look nice,” David tells her when he sees she’s wearing a dress. 

“Figured I’d wear the only dress I brought for the finale,” she says. Her dress is simple and black but it fans out around her waist and fits her perfectly. Her hair is slightly curled from when David helped her with it that morning, and she’s got just a bit more makeup on than usual. 

“Well, you look great, Stevie,” Patrick tells her. 

“Thanks,” she says. 

“Houseguests,” Production interrupts them. “Please go to the living room. We will begin shortly.”

David reaches out for both of them. The three of them hold hands in a mini circle and all take a deep breath before letting go and heading to the living room. They’re instructed on where to sit - David and Stevie on one sofa and Patrick across from them on the other. David’s sad he can’t sit next to Patrick but he knows it’s because he and Stevie still need to compete in part 3 of the HoH competition. He’ll make sure to sit next to him after it’s done. 

*

“Good evening, I’m Moira Rose,” Moira introduces as the show begins. “And welcome to finale night!” 

The cameras pan to the screen where a recap of what happened in the week plays to inform the audience. When it’s back on Moira - wearing a very curly orange wig and this floor length black gown - she says, “David, Patrick, and Stevie have been working together throughout the entire season but tonight, only two of them will advance to become the final two. It’s time for part three of the final HoH competition. Let’s inform our final three.”

Inside the house, the three of them sit, waiting for Moira to appear. “Good evening houseguests,” Moira says, her face popping onto the screen. They greet Moira before she says, “How is everyone feeling tonight?”

“Nervous,” David tells her.

“Nervous for the final HoH competition?” she asks him.

David nods, “Yes.”

“Well, then, let’s get to it, shall we?” 

“Oh God,” he mutters.

“Please make your way to the backyard for the final HoH competition,” she tells them before disappearing from the screen.

The three of them make their way outside to see a giant scale, making David’s nerves worse. “It’s okay,” Patrick mutters, rubbing his back. “You can do this.”

“I love you,” David tells him, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you,” Patrick says back before kissing him softly. “Go win this.”

David takes a deep breath before going to stand in front of the giant scales. He and Stevie hug before stepping onto their own scale. It lifts them up in the air and David tries not to panic. He searches for Patrick who’s sitting off to the side, he can barely see him but just knowing he’s there helps. 

*

“It’s time to crown the final HoH of the summer,” Moira tells the audience, while the houseguests get ready. “This HoH will have to immediately decide whom they want to evict, and whom they want to face off against for the half million dollar prize. Let’s head to the backyard and get things started.”

“Houseguests,” Moira’s voice announces from the speakers. “For the last time this season, the power is up for grabs. Stevie, David, as winners of the first two rounds of the HoH competition, you are the only ones eligible to compete tonight. It’s time to see how well you know the members of the jury. This competition is called [ _Scales of Just Us_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFq-xnBOFkc), and here’s how it works. I will read the beginning of statements made by each of the six members of the Big Brother jury. For each, I will give you the choice of two possible endings. You must decide how you think the juror completed that statement. The answer will be either A or B. For every correct answer, you will receive one point. Whoever has the most points at the end of six questions, will tip the scales in their favor and be crowned the final Head of Household. Are you both ready?”

*

Stevie nods along, listening to how the competition works. She’s never watched the show before but from what David explained to her, and now hearing it from Moira, it all sounds simple enough.

“Yes, Moira,” they both answer when she asks if they’re ready.

“Then let’s begin,” she tells them. “Question one. Alexis said: _My favorite moment in the house was_ , A) Meeting Ted, or B) Playing the game with my brother?” 

David knows it’s not about him but he wishes it would be, that’d be really sweet. “Answers please,” Moira says so he flips his dial to A and reveals it.

“Let’s hear what Alexis said,” Moira tells them.

Alexis’s voice comes filtering through, “My favorite moment in the house was meeting Ted.”

“That means the correct answer was A,” Moira tells them. “David, you get one point.”

David’s shocked Stevie got that wrong but he also can’t help but smile knowing she thought Alexis’s favorite part was playing with him. The scales tip and David goes a bit lower to the ground. 

“Reset as we move on to question two,” Moira tells them. “Rachel said: _My most embarrassing moment in the house was_ , A) Being dumped on national television, or B) Being evicted before David?”

David rolls his eyes at this one. There’s only one clear answer here and it’s not the one that involves him.

Patrick on the sidelines also rolls his eyes, muttering to himself, “Couldn’t dump someone I wasn’t even dating.”

“Answers please,” Moira informs them before saying, “Let’s hear what Rachel said.”

Rachel’s voice comes through, “My most embarrassing moment in the house was being dumped on national television.”

“The correct answer was A, you both got it right. Please reset for question three.”

Stevie’s glad that was an easy one, she’s just one behind, if David can get one wrong, they’ll be tied and she’ll have a better chance at winning. 

They reset their dials when asked before Moira says, “Question three. Twyla said: _My least favorite part of playing in Big Brother was,_ A) Being on slop, or B) Being used as a pawn?”

David puts B because she _was_ used as a pawn a lot and she made slop fun for herself by making smoothies, hoping he’s correct. 

“Answers please,” Moira tells them. They lock in their answers. “Let’s hear what Twyla said.”

Twyla’s voice comes through next, “My least favorite part of playing in Big Brother was being used as a pawn.”

“The correct answer was B, you both got that right, you both earn a point. Right now, David has three points and Stevie has two. Reset as we move onto question four. Ronnie said: _The houseguest I think needs the biggest reality check is_ , A) Rachel, Patrick doesn’t want you, or B) Bob, Gwen doesn’t want you?”

David snickers at the options before locking in his answer. “Answers please,” Moira tells them as they lock them in. “Let’s hear what Ronnie said.”

Ronnie’s voice comes in next with, “The houseguest I think needs the biggest reality check is Rachel, Patrick doesn’t want you!”

“The correct answer was A, both of you got it right, earning another point. Reset for question five.” Once they reset, Moira says, “Ted said: _The biggest surprise in the house was,_ A) When I won the drag competition, or B) Alexis liking me back?”

Stevie smiles, remembering how shocked Ted was to win the drag race. She’s about to lock in her answer with A but then her gut tells her to choose B. Ted’s such a humble guy, she can’t imagine he didn’t say that about Alexis. “Answers please,” Moira tells them. She locks in her answer, going with her gut. “Let’s see what Ted said.”

Ted’s voice comes through, “The biggest surprise in the house was Alexis liking me back!”

“The correct answer is B, you both got it right, you both earn another point. Please reset for the final question,” Moira informs them. They both reset before she says, “David, if you get this one right, you will become the final HoH of the summer. If you get it wrong and Stevie gets it right, we will go to a tie breaker question. Question six, Ray said: _The most fun I had in the house was,_ A) Listening to everyone’s conversations, or B) Baking for all my friends.”

David takes a steadying breath. Ray could have said either. He goes with his gut before locking in his answer when Moira asks for it. “Let’s see what Ray said.”

Ray’s cheery voice fills the space, “The most fun I had in the house was listening to everyone’s conversations.”

“The correct answer was A, which means, congratulations David, you are the final Head of Household!” Moira tells them.

“Oh my God!” David exclaims, his hands coming up to cover his mouth in shock. 

“Houseguests, please make your way back inside. David, you have an important decision to make,” Moira tells them.

David and Stevie get down from the scales, and David’s met by Patrick in a big hug. “You did it!” Patrick tells him before kissing his neck. “I’m so proud of you.”

David laughs but cries a bit, not believing what just happened. He only lets go of Patrick when Stevie comes over to hug them. He hugs her tightly as she offers him her congratulations. 

Production tells them to get inside so the three of them make their way inside and to the living room. Patrick and Stevie sit in the two nomination chairs as David sits on the sofa closest to Patrick, holding his hand.

When production tells David he has to stand up and wait for Moira’s cue, he’s reluctant to let go of Patrick’s hand, as if the loss will sever their connection.

“It’s okay,” Patrick says quietly. “Go.”

David brings Patrick’s hand up to his lips to kiss before finally letting go and getting in place at the front of the room. The excitement and relief of winning part three was quick to fade away when it hit him what would happen next. It’s like he had tunnel vision, only thinking about securing his place in the final two without thinking about how he’d be in this exact position, having to end either his boyfriend or his best friend’s game. 

“Hello, final three!” Moira says, appearing on their screen. “Stevie and Patrick, in just a few moments, David will cast his vote to evict live. But fear not; before he does, you each have one last chance to plead your case. Stevie, you’re up first.”

Stevie stands up, and gives David a shaky smile. “Congratulations again on winning the final HoH. You deserved it. No matter what, I’m really glad I got to meet you.” She turns to Patrick and adds, “And you, too. There’s no one else I’d rather be in the final three with than the both of you.”

Patrick smiles, mouthing, “Same.”

“Um,” Stevie continues, turning back to David. “I’m not going to say anything bad about Patrick. There’s nothing to say, first of all, but also because I know that is so not the way to win you over. So instead I just want to, uh, remind you that we planned to be here together on night one, and it’s pretty fu–” She cuts herself off quickly, remembering she’s on live television. “–pretty freaking–,” she corrects herself. “–amazing that we made it. I’m really hoping you’ll pick me so we can make good on our final two deal from that first night, but if you don’t, no hard feelings.” She clears her throat. “I’ll totally vote Patrick over you, though,” she teases before sitting down.

“Thank you, Stevie,” Moira says. “Patrick, your turn.”

Patrick stands up and addresses Stevie first. “Thank you, Stevie. I’m glad to have met you, too. And you’ve been a great competitor and friend in this game.”

David’s legs start to go weak when Patrick turns to look at him, his expression completely unguarded, every emotion bared for David to see. It’s almost too much.

“David, I hope you already know that I would climb a thousand mountains for you,” Patrick starts, a lot calmer than David feels. “You are more than I ever expected from this game when I auditioned. This has been the best summer of my life, and it’s all because of you. I love you, every part of you, and I can’t wait to start our future together. I know it’s eating you up inside that you have to choose between us.”

David lets out a snort, unable to help himself. That’s the biggest understatement he’s ever heard. 

“But,” Patrick continues. “It’s not a choice. You made a deal with Stevie first. It’s okay. Meeting you, getting to know you, falling in love with you–” Patrick pauses, starting to get a little choked up. “I’ve already won. Because I have you.”

David gasps, his hands flying up to cover his mouth. He knows how Patrick feels about him. Of course he does. Patrick’s never missed an opportunity to make sure David not only knows it, but _feels_ it, too, whether it’s promises whispered against his skin or declarations in front of the cameras, and thus the nation. Every word and every touch have made their way to the very core of David, soothing his past wounds, healing over them until the only marks left on him are Patrick’s. But hearing Patrick say it like this—that he’d rather have David than prize money—he knows what he has to do.

“I’m proud of you,” Patrick concludes, sitting back down.

“Thank you, Patrick. Thank you both.” Moira’s voice brings David’s attention from Patrick to the screen. “David, you are guaranteed at least second place and the fifty thousand dollar prize that goes along with it. But you have an astronomical decision to make. By deciding whom to evict, you are also deciding who will stay and will sit next to you when the jury votes for the winner. This is a half million dollar decision. Are you ready to make it?” Moira asks.

David wants to say no, but he nods, still concentrating on his mother on screen, not wanting to look back at Stevie and Patrick. He can hear Stevie’s foot nervously tapping on the floor, and though he can’t quite hear what Patrick says, he can hear his boyfriend whispering to her, the tapping coming to a stop.

“Patrick and Stevie,” Moira addresses them. “Whoever gets evicted will have a few moments to say his or her goodbyes. David, please cast the final eviction vote of the summer.”

“I don’t want to do this. I hate that I have to. I played the game with both of you this entire summer. I wouldn’t have made it this far without either of you.” David chokes back a sob. “I love you both, but I’m going to go with what my heart is telling me to do. I’m so sorry. Stevie…” Just because he knows what he has to do doesn’t mean it’s easy for him to say it. “Stevie, I’m going to honor our final two deal.”

“You need to say it,” Moira says when he doesn’t continue, and David’s never resented her more than in that moment.

“Patrick, I’m- I’m sorry.” His tears start to fall freely. “I have to vote to evict you.”

“Patrick, it’s official. You are the last houseguest evicted from the Big Brother house.”

Patrick stands up and rushes over to David, bringing him into his arms. “Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for,” he says over David’s repeated apologies. “This is what I wanted you to do.”

“I know,” David cries into his shoulder. “But I hate it.”

It’s because of Patrick that he felt safe enough to cast his vote the way he did. He trusts Patrick, something he’s never been able to say before. He trusts that Patrick’s feelings about him won’t change now. He trusts that Patrick will respect his decision to honor his first final two deal over the one he made second with Patrick. He trusts that Patrick means it when he says he’s already won.

“This is a really long hug now.”

“Just one more minute,” David says, even though he knows they don’t have that long.

“You’ll see me out there soon,” Patrick promises, kissing his spot on David’s neck before pulling away to kiss him on the lips.

David pulls him in for another, and then another, when Patrick starts to pull away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Patrick tells him. “More than I ever thought possible.” He lets go of David, wiping away his tears. “You’ve got this. You’re going to show the jury why you deserve to win.”

“Gee, thanks,” Stevie mutters behind him. Her rid-rimmed eyes don’t go unnoticed by either of them.

David waits until Patrick gives Stevie a quick hug to pull him back in for one more. “I’ve already won, too.”

Patrick’s arms tighten around David at his words, before he reluctantly pulls away and opens the door.

As the door closes behind him, Stevie pulls David over to the memory wall so they can watch Patrick’s picture fade to black and white, neither fighting back their tears. David feels ridiculous; he’s only going to go an hour without Patrick by his side. But it doesn’t stop him from feeling like a part of him is missing. An unwanted distraction from how he’s feeling, Stevie shoves him, not hard enough to hurt but with enough force to get him to stumble back a little.

“Ow, what was that for?” David cries out, rubbing his arm where she touched him. “Where’s the thank you for picking you? It might not be too late to get Patrick back here.”

“Thank you,” Stevie says sincerely before pushing him again. “But that’s for the sorry, Stevie fake out. I thought you were evicting me, asshole!”

“Sorry.” David winces. “I didn’t want to actually say the words, you know? But my mom made me anyway.”

Stevie makes a face, but tugs on his arm to bring him closer and leans on him once he’s close enough. Together they stare at the memory wall, their pictures the last two in color. 

“We did it,” Stevie says, amazement in her voice.

“Yeah, we effing did.”

*

Patrick’s more nervous than he expected to be sitting next to Moira. Seeing and talking to her from inside the house, it was easy to view her only as the host of the show. But now he doesn’t feel like he’s being interviewed by television’s Moira Rose, Big Brother host. It feels like he’s being grilled by Moira Rose, his boyfriend’s mother. Not that she’s done anything to make him feel that way exactly. She’s been nothing but warm and friendly since he walked out the front door, even going as far as to cup his face when greeting him. 

“So, Patrick,” Moira interrupts his musings. “I’m surprised to see you here. How do you feel about David choosing to evict you? Betrayed?”

“Absolutely not,” Patrick denies quickly. “It was the right move. I don’t know how the votes would’ve fallen if David and I were against each other in the final two. We played the same strategy. We both won a lot of competitions. Picking Stevie was the smart decision. He has a better chance of winning against her.”

He scans the audience, hoping to catch a glimpse of his parents. He doesn’t see them and assumes none of the jurors are supposed to see their families until their votes have been cast. But he does see an older man in the front row, who he knows without a doubt is David’s father. He vaguely remembers him from the old Rose Video employee welcome video, but it’s his eyes that let Patrick know who he is. They’re so like David’s that Patrick’s almost too distracted to hear Moira’s next question.

“You seemed to encourage David to evict you in your speech. Did you really mean that?”

Patrick nods, looking back at Moira. “Yeah, he deserves to win. This has been his dream for a long time. I was just looking for an escape this summer. I don’t care about the prize money. I meant what I said. I’ve already won because I met David.”

“I must agree,” Moira coos. “You are lucky to have met my bébé son! And he’s lucky to have met you, too.”

“Th-thank you.” Patrick blushes, pleased to have earned Moira’s approval. “I definitely got the better end of the deal, though.”

“You and David talked a lot about a future together,” Moira prompts him. “Are you afraid you not winning will delay that?”

“It might delay certain things,” Patrick says, choosing his words carefully. He knows what Moira really means with this turn of questioning. She wants to make sure of Patrick’s intentions. “I’ll have to come up with my share of the money for our store. It’d be easier if I was guaranteed fifty thousand right now. But I have back up plans, grants I can apply for, business loans I can take out. We’ll get there eventually.” 

He hopes that ends any concerns either of David’s parents may have about him using David for his money. “But that’s not the only thing I’m looking forward to with David. I’m looking forward to building a life with him, not just a business. And money has nothing to do with that. So no, I don’t think me placing third is going to delay my future with David.”

Moira’s smile grows at his answer. “Well, you’ll have a chance to cast your vote soon enough, and I’m sure it won’t be a surprise.” She turns to address the camera. “When we return. The jury will join us and find out who made it to the final two.”

Patrick lets out a shaky breath, glad the interview is over. He’s one segment closer to being in David’s arms again.

*

After the commercial break, Moira addresses the camera and audience. “The fate of the final two now rests in the hands of the jury. Please welcome back…Alexis!”

Alexis, wearing a gold embellished bodycon dress, walks out, waving to the audience as they cheer her on. She walks over to where there are chairs set up for the jury members—a row of four with a row of three a step above—and takes a seat on the end. She squeals in excitement when she sees someone in the audience holding up a homemade sign that says “I la la la la la la love Alexis!”

Moira calls out Rachel next, and the audience’s cheers are less enthusiastic as she comes out wearing a simple, dark blue v-neck dress and takes the seat next to Alexis.

“Twyla!” Moira calls out.

Twyla comes out waving shyly, the hem of her dress—gray and silver metallic with a geometric print—swaying as she hurries to take her seat in the middle of the top row. Ronnie, in a black pantsuit, follows Twyla. The audience cheers wildly for her, and she does a little pose for them before taking one of the seats beside Twyla.

Ted, in a tan suit and light blue button-down, is next. He waves quickly to the audience, but his attention is on Alexis as if they weren’t just backstage together. He takes the seat behind her, brushing his hand against her shoulder as he sits down. Ray follows him. He’s also in a tan suit, but with a peach button-down and multi-colored striped tie. He reaches out to high five some of the audience before taking the seat next to Rachel.

“Welcome back,” Moira says to them. “Now as you can see, there’s only six of you out here tonight. And that’s because just moments ago, the final houseguest—the last member of the jury—was evicted. Rachel, who do you think was evicted?”

Rachel bites her lip, looking at the audience before answering. She shrugs deciding to go with the truth. “Probably Stevie, but I’m hoping it was David.” There’s a few boos from the audience, so Rachel quickly adds in defense, “He ended my game!”

“I was Head of Household,” Ted says. “ _I_ got you evicted.”

“–But,” Rachel starts to say.

“–Okay, there will be time for this later,” Moira interrupts them. “Who do you think won the final Head of Household, Twyla?”

“Either David or Patrick,” Twyla answers. “They’re definitely the final two.”

“Let’s see if you’re right. Juror number seven, come join us,” Moira calls out.

The rest of the jurors look off to where they previously made their entrances, eager to see who the final member of the jury will be. They’re all shocked to see Patrick come out, even Ronnie, although she appears happier than the rest of them.

“Button!” Alexis exclaims, standing up to hug him. She pulls away, giving him a boop on the nose before taking her seat again.

Patrick gives everyone a smile, hesitating at Rachel but giving her a quiet, “Hey, Rach,” as he takes the last remaining seat next to Ray.

“Good to see you,” Ronnie says with a smirk above him.

“You, too, Ronnie,” he replies tersely.

“Patrick, do you want to tell everyone who won the final Head of Household?” Moira prompts him.

“Must’ve been Stevie,” Ronnie says before Patrick has a chance. “Good for her.”

“It was David, actually,” Patrick corrects her, the pride clear in his voice.

“And he tossed you out?” Ronnie snorts. “Good for him.”

“Jurors, in just a few moments, I will ask each of you to lock in your votes for who you want to win Big Brother. But before you do, you will have one last chance to question the final two. Now, you’ve been asked as a group to come up with a set of questions for each finalist. Let’s get things started. Shall we?”

The screen in front of them shows David and Stevie sitting in the nomination chairs. Moira addresses them both, “David, Stevie, with me now is the jury. They will each ask you questions to better decide on who they want to crown the winner of Big Brother.” David and Stevie both nod, understanding. “Alexis, you’re first,” Moira tells her.

Alexis stands, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. “Hello to you both and congratulations!” she starts off with.

“Thank you!” David calls out as Stevie says it too but softer.

“My question is for both of you. What was your game defining move? Stevie, you start,” she tells them.

“Okay,” Stevie mutters. “Do I stand?” she looks over to David who nods so she stands. “I think that my game defining move would be teaming up with David and Patrick on day one. They are a huge reason I am here today. We’ve worked together throughout the season and it has kept me safe but also made me a target without ever being evicted. It was my idea to team up together. It was also my idea to create a final two deal with David that same night. I think that being so close with them both helped me in this game because people didn’t necessarily know how close the three of us were until the end. So um, yeah,” she finishes before sitting back down.

“Thank you, Stevie,” Alexis tells her. “Now, David, same question.”

David stands, holding his hands together so he doesn’t gesticulate too much with them. “My game defining move would be winning the battle back competition. I was a huge target in the game before that but winning that competition and making my way back into the house, it really helped me get to where I am now, in the final two. And obviously, like Stevie said, being in a final three with her and Patrick, it helped me get to this point. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for their support throughout the game,” he finishes before sitting back down.

“Rachel, you’re next,” Moira tells her as Alexis sits back down on her stool.

Rachel stands and says, “My question is for Stevie. Is there anything you would do differently if you could?”

Stevie stands and says, “If I could, I would have tried harder to get Patrick to not get Jake out. I didn’t think it was the best decision for my game personally but I did know they were right and he could be an issue for our alliance going forward. I just felt bad about how it all went down. And, I would have tried to find the diamond veto so that you couldn’t. But ultimately, I wouldn’t do anything differently because what I did do got me to the final two.”

“Twyla, you’re next,” Moira says when Stevie and Rachel sit back down.

“Congratulations to you both, it’s well deserved!” Twyla tells them firstly, to which they thank her. “My question is for David. In the jury house, Alexis informed us that Moira is your mother. Why should we give you the win when you kept this huge secret from everyone?”

David stands and says, “Well, thank you for that Alexis. No um, so I didn’t keep this huge secret from everyone? I told Patrick early on before then telling Stevie. I told my closest allies in the house the truth even though I was terrified that it could cost me the game. I knew I could trust them though and I was right. The reason, neither myself or Alexis, said anything about Moira being our mother while in the game was because we knew it would make us targets right away. You wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get to know us because you’d be so set on evicting us both. Moira is not the reason we got cast on the show. We both auditioned and got accepted on our own merits. Telling everyone this piece of information would just hurt my game and this has been a lifelong goal of mine, I couldn’t let this stand in the way of that goal. I am apologetic if this hurt any of your feelings.”

“Thank you,” Twyla tells him before they both sit back down. 

“Ronnie, you’re next,” Moira tells her.

Ronnie stands and says, “Congratulations on making it to the final two. My question is for Stevie. Most of the jury feels like David has gotten a lot of blood on his hands, and you - not so much. What could you tell us to prove that you’ve also gotten your hands dirty?”

Stevie stands, wiping her sweaty palms down the sides of her dress. “I think that I did get my hands dirty. Like I mentioned before, Jake leaving is something that sticks with me because I could have done more to convince them to not go after Jake. His eviction is on my hands. I also put myself in the girls room so that I could get more intel for my alliance to help further us in the game,” she says nervously before sitting down.

“Ted, you’re up,” Moira tells him once Ronnie sits.

Ted stands, smiling brightly at them. “Congratulations, you two! My question is for David. Why do you think you deserve to win over Stevie?” he asks him.

David stands and says, “Thank you, Ted, for such a hard question. Um, I don’t want to say anything bad about Stevie or her gameplay because I don’t think there is anything bad _to_ say. What I will say is that I deserve to win Big Brother because since day one I have been playing my hardest. I worked closely with two other people the entire game and we made it to the final three together. I also created a side alliance with Patrick, Ted, and Alexis to keep us covered and when Alexis got evicted, we pulled Stevie in. However, my main focus in this game was getting myself, Stevie, and Patrick to the final three. Also, I was in the house playing against another player who despised me and was actively coming after me because her ex-boyfriend fell in love with me, constantly being a target because of my quote on quote _showmance_. I got evicted and battled my way back in the house. I have won three vetoes, and four HoH competitions including part two and three of the final HoH. I was in a showmance and still made it to the final two, and I had to make the hardest decision of my life to evict him. Through all of this, I hid the fact that I am a huge superfan of the show, that my mother is the hostess of said show, and that my family is broke and living in the small town Jocelyn’s family runs. I’ve done a lot to get where I am and I think I deserve to be crowned the winner.” 

David sits back down, accepting the squeeze to his hand from Stevie who mutters, “That was good.”

He mouths ‘thank you’ before Moira says, “Ray, you’re next.”

Ray stands and congratulates them before saying, “My question is for Stevie. Same as David’s. Why do you think you deserve to win over David?”

Stevie stands and says, “I think David is one of the best players this season, probably on Big Brother in general, but I do also deserve to win this season. I created an alliance on day one that has dominated the game. We laid low the first few weeks, making our social games the focus. I am _not_ a people person but I did what I could to be friends with everyone in the house. I’ve won competitions that I am proud of winning. I was only ever nominated because of how strong my alliance was. I played a well rounded game of being friendly with everyone, making strategic game moves to get myself and my alliance to the end, and I laid low and let my alliance get blood on their hands so I wouldn’t make any enemies.” 

She sits back down before she and David hold hands briefly. He lets go and mutters to her, “Ew, your hands are so clammy.”

“I’m nervous, shut up,” she mutters back, wiping her palms on her dress again.

“Patrick, because you were just evicted, you may ask either of the final two your own question,” Moira tells him.

Patrick smiles, “Okay,” he says before standing. “My question is for David. What made you evict me over Stevie?” 

David smiles softly. Patrick knows why, he’s just asking him to give him a chance to explain himself to everyone. David stands and says, “I already miss you so much, Patrick. Um so the reason I chose Stevie over you was because like Stevie said earlier, we made a final two deal on day one. She’s been my ride or die since we stepped into this house together and I could not go back on our deal. We also made a final two deal but it was later and you came to me with it. I couldn’t say no because - well, I didn’t want to since I liked you so much, and because you just _don’t_ turn down final two deals when they come. I knew that winning the final HoH competition would put me in an impossible spot but not because I had to make a decision, but because my decision had already been made long before we made it to the final three. I had to send you home when you deserve just as much as we both do to be here. Because of how good of a competitor you were, Veto Victor, I knew I didn’t stand a chance in beating you. The only reason that the decision to evict you wasn’t as hard as it should be was because before I was evicted from the house, I told you the truth, and you were -” David gets choke up, pushing his tears back before continuing. “- so understanding. When I came back in the house, you still wanted to be with me, you still wanted to play this game with me, and you still were so understanding of my need to honor my final two with Stevie. That is why I chose Stevie to sit next to me tonight. I love you.” 

David sits back down and sees Patrick mouth the words back to him. “Now that the jury have asked their questions to the final two, you both have one last chance to plead your case - to tell the jury why you think you should be crowned the winner of Big Brother. You both have thirty seconds. Stevie, you’re first,” Moira informs them.

Stevie stands and says, “I owe a lot of my game to David and Patrick, but I deserve to win Big Brother because I was in this strong alliance from day one and made it to final three. I was also in a showmance in the beginning of the game that never made me a target. I was friends or friendly with everyone in the house. I won competitions when I needed to, and I sat back and let my alliance get their hands dirty so I didn’t need to. I respect your decision either way.” She turns to look at David and finishes with, “Thank you, David, for being my rock in here. You’re the best friend I ever could have asked for.”

Stevie sits back down and Moira says, “David, you’re up.”

David stands and says, “I would not be here without the help of my amazing alliance members - Stevie and Patrick, as well as the help of Ted and Alexis. I have dreamt of this moment for the past two decades. Standing before the jury, asking you to vote for me. I deserve to be the next winner of Big Brother because I worked my hardest to get to this point. I already told you my wins, but along with those wins, I played strategically to make sure that every week, the person my alliance needed out would leave. The only hiccup being Rachel’s surprise diamond veto. Even with that, I still remained in the house, until I had to battle my way back into the house. If you crown me the winner, it’ll be the first time in Big Brother history that somebody who battled back into the house has won. I respect whatever decision you make tonight.” He looks at Stevie before saying, “Stevie, you are the only friend I’ve ever had that has been real and genuine and for that I thank you.” He looks back at the screen, finding Patrick’s face as he says, “Patrick, I love you, and I cannot wait to start the rest of our lives together. Thank you.”

David sits back down, and Moira says, “Thank you both. We will get to the live vote in just a few moments. Hang tight.”

*

After the commercial break, Moira says, “Welcome back. Before the break, the jury questioned our final two before they got a chance to plead their case on why they should win Big Brother. Now it’s time for the live vote.” She faces the jury and says, “One at a time, you will step up to the podium and insert the key of the player you want to win Big Brother. I repeat, you will insert the key of the player you want to _win_ the game. Alexis, you’re up first.”

Alexis stands, holding the bag with both David and Stevie’s keys inside, as she makes her way to the podium facing the screen that shows them both watching. She opens the bag and takes hold of the key she wants, she covers the part that shows the name and pulls it from the bag. Before inserting it, she says, “I am voting for the person I think has played the _best_ overall game this season.” She puts the key inside the slot that has her name next to it before going back to her seat as Rachel makes her way over next.

As Alexis did, Rachel hides the name on her key as she puts it in the slot. “I’m voting for the person who didn’t make my time in the game difficult.”

Next, Twyla does the same with her key before saying, “I am voting for the person I think deserves it just a bit more than the other.”

The rest of the houseguests make their way up one at a time, telling them why they are voting the way that they are. Lastly, Patrick steps up to the podium and says, “I am voting for the person that has wanted this longer,” before putting the key into his slot.

Stevie rolls her eyes but can’t help laugh at Patrick’s obvious statement. She squeezes David’s hand when Moira says, “All of the votes are in. We will reveal the votes a little later in the show. But first, the first seven houseguests to be evicted from the game will be here to discuss what they witnessed when watching from the comfort of their own homes. Stay with us.”

*

When the show returns from the commercial break, the pre-jurors are sitting across the stage from the jury.

“Welcome back to the season finale of Big Brother,” Moira, standing between the two groups, says. “Please say hello to Klair, Bob, Miguel, Gwen, Jake, Mutt, and Jocelyn!” she re-introduces the houseguests evicted from the house before the jury started.

The pre-jurors, except for Bob who is staring at Gwen, wave at the audience. A few of them wave at the screen beside Moira, which shows David and Stevie sitting in the living room. They both wave back.

“Welcome back, houseguests. It’s wonderful to see you all again,” Moira greets them. “When you were evicted you got to go home and watch the rest of the season play out. However, the jury over here is still in the dark about a lot of things. As Alexis revealed to the jury members, she and David are my bébés. But they were not the only two keeping information from the rest of the house, however.” Moira grins as the jury members start to look at each other with distrust. “Rachel,” she says. “You introduced yourself as a bartender. That’s not true, is it?”

Rachel laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “No. Part of my strategy was hiding my real job. I’m actually a physical therapist. I thought that might make me seem like more of a physical threat.”

Ronnie laughs from the other side of the stage. “Was bombing the competitions part of her strategy, too?” she mutters under her breath.

“Anyone else want to confess a day one lie?” Moira asks.

Ray raises his hand. “I am on town council like I said, but I’m also a very successful business man. Like Rachel, I didn’t want my career to make me a target.”

“What kind of businessman?” Klair perks up. “Something involving, like, a lot of money?”

“I offer real estate, photography, and travel!” He counts them out on his fingers as he lists each one. “There’s also my Christmas tree farm during the holidays, and I started a closet organization service right before the show started.”

“Sounds...very successful, indeed,” Moira replies before changing the subject. “With David, Stevie, and Patrick making it to the final three, their alliance—formed on night one—has been one of the most successful alliances in Big Brother history. Let’s take a look back at their journey.”

A montage starts playing on the screen next to Moira. It begins with Stevie asking David and Patrick to form an alliance and then shows some clips of them strategizing and hanging out together. It transitions to clips showing each time one of them was announced the winner of a Head of Household or Power of Veto competition, and then ends with the three of them celebrating making it to the final three with a champagne toast.

“Does anyone have any thoughts after watching that?” Moira asks.

“The right three made it to the end,” Mutt offers. “They played a great game.”

Everyone murmurs their agreement, some more reluctantly than others.

“Jocelyn,” Moira says, getting her attention. “The week you were sent home, you asked to be evicted. Do you regret that decision?”

Jocelyn shakes her head. “It was the right thing to do. I missed my family too much to keep playing.”

“Klair, what was the biggest surprise this summer, do you think?” Moira asks, moving on.

“Oh, I haven’t been watching,” Klair answers. “Why would I want to watch everyone after they kicked me out the first week?”

“You didn’t even keep watching for me, babe?” Miguel asks, frowning.

When Klair doesn’t answer him, Moira addresses them both. “Miguel and Klair, you were evicted two weeks apart. Did you two continue your romance outside of the house?”

“No.” Miguel shakes his head. “This is the first time we’ve seen each other. I miss her, though.”

Moira raises an eyebrow at Klair. “Does this mean your showmance has reached the end or is there hope still?”

Klair reaches over Bob to put a comforting hand on Miguel’s arm. “Okay, so you’re, like, crazy hot. But you’re just not what I’m looking for right now.” 

“Women are cruel,” Bob leans towards Miguel to say.

“How about you, Gwen and Bob?” Moira asks. “Any chance of a reunion?”

“Yes,” Bob says, and Gwen practically shouts out, “No” to drown him out.

From the jury’s side of the stage, Rachel sympathizes with Miguel and Bob, telling them she understands how hard it is to be dumped on television.

Patrick holds back from reacting, not wanting to make a scene on live television, but it doesn’t matter because Alexis is quick to jump in to defend him.

“I think you mean you know what it’s like to be rejected,” Alexis corrects her. “You’d have to have been with Patrick when the show began to be dumped.”

Patrick mouths a thank you to her and she winks back at him with both eyes.

Moira clears her throat so the attention is back on her. “Some of your relationships may have ended prematurely, but it was definitely a summer of romance. Let’s take a look.”

Another montage begins, full of clips of Alexis and Ted, Klair and Miguel, Stevie and Jake, Jake flirting with everyone, and Bob trying to talk to Gwen.

“You forgot one of the hottest couples,” Jake complains when the montage is over.

Patrick blushes, knowing he and David are the only couple that weren’t shown. On the screen, David smiles smugly.

“Yes,” Moira agrees. “While David and Patrick were falling in love with each other, America was falling in love with them. I think they might need to purchase antibiotics because they’ve gone viral!”

Patrick laughs at the face David makes at his mother insinuating that he and his boyfriend will need antibiotics.

“Oh my god. Ew, Mom!” Alexis complains.

Moira continues, ignoring the interruption. “I’m told they trended, whatever that is, several times this summer. Show of hands, who was surprised when they learned David and Patrick were together?”

Rachel’s the only one to raise her hand, held down low like she’s not sure of her answer.

Moira directs their attention back to the screen for another montage, this one about just David and Patrick. The first clip is them on the first day, waiting to be let into the house. Past Patrick smiles at past David when their eyes meet. The scene changes to them introducing themselves inside the house.

Next is a clip from David’s first diary room entry. “I'm going to be sharing a bed with Patrick, which is very interesting. He's not usually my type but he's very cute,” past David says. “Not a good look for me to crush on a straight guy, though. Well, I can't assume he's straight, but his ex girlfriend is here. God, that was very awkward and cringey earlier with them. I think I can really trust him, though, and he seems to trust me to ask to bunk with me out of everyone.”

Patrick’s chest swells at the confirmation that David had a crush on him from the very beginning. When the clip changes to him in the diary room, he recognizes that it’s his first diary room entry and crosses his fingers, hoping he didn’t say anything too embarrassing. 

“David is really interesting. He was wearing a warm sweater in the dead of summer. I don’t understand it but he makes it look _really_ good. I haven’t been able to stop looking at him. There’s something about him that just—I feel drawn to him, does that make sense?” Past Patrick starts off. “I trust David. I barely know him but I just feel really good about him, I don’t know why.”

Patrick uncrosses his fingers, relieved that he didn’t make a fool of himself. At least one thing hasn’t changed since that day; he still isn’t able to stop looking at David. The feeling of being drawn to him hasn’t gone away either, increasing instead.

More clips start to play—them together early on, Patrick asking David out over breakfast on his birthday, him singing to David, their first kiss, them checking each other out in their punishment outfits, them sneaking in and out of the HoH bedroom, their tearful goodbye when David was evicted and their joyful reunion shortly after.

David and Patrick fade away on screen and are replaced by Ronnie in the diary room. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to handle them looking at each other like that,” past Ronnie says. The corner of the video is labeled ‘day 10,’ days before they even officially got together. More diary room clips from the other houseguests are shown, all discussing how they think there’s something going on between the two of them. 

The montage ends with a series of clips of their PG intimate moments hugging, kissing, and cuddling, audio of some of the things David and Patrick have said to each other playing over it.

“David, how do you feel after watching that?” Moira asks.

David squirms in his seat, playing with the rings on his hand. “Like I really miss my boyfriend and want you to reveal the votes so I can go out there and see him.”

The audience laughs at David’s response, and Moira joins in with a chuckle. “You’re in luck. Up next, it is the moment of truth. Stevie or David— who will be crowned the winner of Big Brother? Find out after these advertisements.”

*

When the feed from outside fades away, leaving their screen blank during the commercial break, Stevie and David stand up to stretch their legs a little. Production warned them they wouldn’t be able to stray far from their seats, but would be able to take bathroom breaks during the commercials.

“I’m going to the bathroom. Be right back,” David tells Stevie, who barely acknowledges him, too inside her own head. 

He doesn’t actually need to use the bathroom; he just needed a moment alone, so he turns the faucet on and runs his hands underneath the flow of water. He splashes a little water on his face, careful not to dampen his sweater, then wipes his face with the lone remaining towel.

The counter is empty of the usual products, mostly his as he took over the space the past week. All of their belongings are packed. They’re ready to leave this house behind. Last night, Patrick told him it’d be a tough goodbye. At first David thought he meant them saying goodbye to each other, but Patrick corrected him, telling him he meant a tough goodbye to the house.

“This is where we started our life together,” he told David. 

At the time, he thought Patrick was being overly sentimental. They have so much to look forward to. But he gets it now. This house is where they got to know each other, where they fell in love, where they made plans for their future. It _is_ where they started their life together.

He runs his hands along the counter, remembering the night before his birthday, the first time Patrick helped him with his skin care—applying David’s under eye serum because his hands were too unsteady, a common side effect of close proximity to Patrick before they started dating. 

“Thirty seconds,” David hears production warn them, so he hurries back into the living room and takes his seat. He holds his hand out to Stevie, and when she takes it, he wishes her good luck.

“Yeah, you, too.” Stevie smirks at him. “You’re going to need it, meeting Patrick’s parents.”

“Why would you say something like that?” 

Stevie shrugs. “Have to get in some last in-person teasing.”

“You’re a menace to society,” David tells her, but they share a smile.

“So it said on every letter my teachers sent home,” Stevie jokes.

David lets out a shaky breath as his mother appears on the screen again, standing in front of the box holding the keys that’ll decide which one of them is walking out of the house a half million dollars richer.

“Welcome back. It is finally time to crown the winner of this season of Big Brother,” Moira announces. “Stevie and David, I’m about to reveal the jury’s votes. The winner will receive five hundred thousand dollars, and the runner up, fifty thousand dollars. One at a time, I will pull the keys from the box revealing who each juror chose to win Big Brother. You will need at least four votes to win this game.” Moira pulls out the first key carefully, hiding the name on it.

“That’s a vote for you,” Stevie says.

David nods in agreement, knowing it’s a given because it’s Alexis’ vote.

“Alexis has cast her vote for David,” Moira reveals, putting the key to the side. “Rachel…”

“And that’s a vote for you,” David tells Stevie, knowing there’s no way she would give her vote to him.

“...has cast her vote for Stevie,” Moira finishes. Putting the key aside, she pulls out the next one.

Stevie and David share a look, knowing Twyla’s key is next. Neither of them are sure which one of them she voted for. Her jury question to David about Moira being his mother came as a complete surprise to him, and it’s possible that she’s too upset about the reveal to want him to win.

“Twyla has cast her vote for David,” Moira says. “That is two votes for David and one vote for Stevie.”

David lets out a small sigh of relief knowing he got one of the swing votes. He’s still not sure he pulled off a victory just yet; even if he is pretty confident on how some of them will vote, there’s no guarantee. But he is one vote closer to winning.

Ronnie is next, another swing vote. David thinks she might respect his game play, but she could be bitter about how things turned out. Her successful attempt to get him evicted from the house was short lived when he won the battle back competition, and then she was out the next week when Patrick, as HoH, and he, as the veto winner, held all the power. 

Moira pulls out Ronnie’s key, holding it up for the camera as she reveals, “Ronnie has cast her vote for David. That’s three votes for David and one vote for Stevie. David needs only one more vote to win.”

David freezes. He only needs one more vote, and with Patrick’s vote still left...

“Oh my God,” Stevie says next to him, realization dawning on her. “You just won.”

“Not yet,” David replies, in disbelief himself.

“Bullshit,” she whispers, low enough for the mics not to pick up hopefully. “Patrick’s vote will make four. David, you won!”

David ignores her, not wanting to get too excited until he’s officially named the winner. Patrick could’ve mistakenly put in the wrong key, thinking he was supposed to be voting for who he’d like evicted. David’s seen it happen before, on one of the seasons of Canadian Big Brother. He’s not going to let himself believe he’s won until a fourth key is pulled out with his name on it.

“Ted has cast his vote for…” Moira trails off, pulling out his key. “Congratulations, David! You are the winner of Big Brother!” She holds up the key, showing David’s name on it.

Stevie jumps up excited, and when David remains sitting down in shock, she pulls him up and wraps her arms around him in a hug. “I told you! You won, David! Congratulations!”

“Oh my God,” David repeats a few times, hugging her back. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Stevie tells him, smiling. “You deserve this.”

“Join us outside,” Moira says, breaking into their conversation. She turns back to the audience while she waits for them. “My bébé won! The last time I felt this emotionally encumbered, I was playing Lady Macbeth on a Crystal Skies cruise ship during Shakespeare at Sea Week.”

David’s first out the door, confetti going off around him. He knows it’s making a mess in his hair, but he doesn’t even care because he just won Big Brother. He just accomplished one of his lifetime dreams, and now that he won the money he can make his next dream a reality, too.

All of the past houseguests make their way to David to congratulate him, but Patrick’s first, running up to David and pulling him into a hug. “Congratulations! I knew you could do it.” He kisses David anywhere he can reach—his neck, his cheek—as David tightens his arms around him.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” David tells him. “Thank you.”

“We make a great team,” Patrick agrees. “But you won because of everything _you_ accomplished.” He lets go of David so the others can hug him.

After David has hugged everyone, he motions for Patrick to join him by his side again. They hold hands as Moira calls for everyone’s attention.

“For the record, David, the last remaining votes—Ray and Patrick’s—were both for you. You won almost unanimously! And you’re the only player to have won a battle back competition and then won the season.”

David’s shocked that everyone except Rachel voted for him. He played a part in almost all of their evictions, so he’s grateful that they didn’t hold that against him.

“Now, more business to handle,” Moira says. “America has been voting all week for their favorite houseguest. The person who received the most votes will take home twenty-five thousand dollars. The top three vote-getters are Alexis, Ronnie, and Patrick.”

David laughs at Patrick’s surprise. Squeezing his hand, he leans in and says, “How could America not love you?”

“With nearly one million votes, the winner is…” Moira trails off for dramatic effect. “Congratulations, Patrick! You’re America’s favorite player, and you’ll be going home with twenty-thousand dollars!”

“What?” Patrick looks at David. “Did I just–”

“–Win?” David finishes for him, grinning. “Yeah, you did. Looks like we’re both winners. Congratulations!”

“Our dear Patrick,” Moira says. “What do you have to say?”

“Um, thank you?” Patrick answers, still in shock. “I can’t believe I got that many votes.”

“Do you know how you’re going to spend the money?”

Patrick looks at David. “Yeah,” he answers Moira softly. “I know exactly what I’m going to spend it on.”

All of their families start to join them on stage as Moira addresses the camera one last time for the summer. “From outside the Big Brother house, I’m Moira Rose. Big Brother will be back next summer, and if Julie Chen finds herself still unable to perform her duties, I would be pleased to RSVP...as pending!”

*

The entire cast and crew, and family members of the cast all head to the wrap party, which is being held inside the Big Brother house. David’s happy about this. Saying goodbye to the house just an hour ago, he didn’t expect to feel as emotionally distraught as he was. Being inside the house again with the other fifteen houseguests, family members, and friends, it’s just - it’s really special.

The booze is flowing and there’s music playing. Patrick comes up behind him, kissing his shoulder as he wraps his arms around him. “Hi,” he murmurs against his neck.

“Hi,” David says, smiling as he turns to face him. 

“My parents want to meet you,” Patrick tells him. Right after David was crowned winner and Patrick America’s favorite player, they both rushed off to see their families - David to Alexis, his mother, and his father who he hasn’t seen in almost 100 days, and Patrick to his parents. 

“Now?” David asks hesitantly. He’s nervous to meet them, knowing they’ve watched the entire season and knowing that they must have loved Rachel before Patrick’s and her split. He just hopes he can make a good impression. 

Patrick turns David so he can look him in the eyes. “They’re going to love you. They’ve already told me they do from what they’ve watched. You’ll be fine,” Patrick reassures him before pressing his lips to David’s.

David smiles. Nodding he says, “Okay, I’m ready.”

Patrick grins, taking David’s hand in his as he leads him to where his parents are chatting with Stevie and Jake by the sofa. “Hey guys,” Patrick greets them.

“Oh, hi honey,” Patrick’s mother - Marcy - says with a sweet smile that resembles Patrick’s so much, David can’t help but smile. “We were just getting to know Stevie.”

“And Jake,” his father - Clint - adds with a smile. 

“We’ll just leave you all to talk,” Stevie says, pushing Jake as they head towards the kitchen. 

Once it’s just the four of them, Patrick says, “Mom, dad, this is David, as you already know. David, these are my parents, Clint and Marcy Brewer.”

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” David tells them with a smile. “Your son is the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

Marcy steps forward and takes David’s hands in hers. “Thank you for caring for and loving our son the way you have,” she tells him softly, her eyes getting a bit glassy.

Clint steps up to his wife, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We’ve been watching every episode, live feeds, all of it - well, except for at night,” Clint says, making Patrick blush beside him. “You are a wonderful person, David. We’re so very happy that the two of you are together.” 

David’s own eyes well up with tears as he takes in what they’ve both said. He tries to push them back as he says, “That means a lot to me, thank you.”

Marcy lets go of his hands to open her arms. David steps into them, hugging her tight, as he feels Clint tap his back. They break apart and Patrick’s there, his arm wrapped around him, a smug little smile on his face because he _was_ right. David spots his parents, calling them over. He introduces Patrick to his father, and his parents to Patrick’s parents before all of them are just chatting about the show. David manages to pull Patrick away with him towards the kitchen for a drink.

“So um,” David says behind his red solo cup. “How much longer do you think we need to stay?” His eyebrows lifting up slightly.

Patrick looks at him wide eyed. “Um, not long, hopefully,” he stammers out. 

David smirks before taking a sip of his drink.

*

When people start leaving, David and Patrick take the opportunity to as well. They say goodbye to their families and new friends. They plan to stay in LA for the next few days just the two of them but they’ve exchanged numbers with Stevie and promised to call when they get back home. 

David and Patrick take their belongings, grab a cab, and head to the nearest drug store before they go to the nearest hotel. They get a nice room for three nights where if David has any say, they won’t leave the entire time they’re there.

After freshening up, David returns to see Patrick sitting up on the bed, his back against the headboard, legs crossed as he looks down at his phone. Patrick looks up to see him, immediately putting the phone aside. 

David smiles softly at him as he crawls onto the bed to join him. “Hi,” he says softly as he sits next to him, kissing the tip of his nose.

Patrick giggles. “Hi,” he says back just as softly.

They just look into each other's eyes before David moves back in, pressing their lips together, his hand coming up to hold the side of Patrick’s face. Patrick reaches for him, pulling him into him as he slips his tongue past David’s lips. David teases his tongue against Patrick’s, his hand curling into his hair at the back of his neck. 

Patrick moves down on the bed, pulling David on top of him. David moves between Patrick’s legs, grinding against him, going all for it now that they have the complete privacy they’ve been craving for more than three months. 

Patrick’s hands move up under David’s sweater. “Off, please,” he says against his lips.

David moves off of him as they both strip out of their clothes. Finally naked, they get back onto the bed, David on his back as Patrick moves between his legs. He presses his body against David’s, feeling that skin on skin action he’s been craving. Their hard cocks slide together as Patrick grinds against him. David moans into their kiss, his hands roaming all over Patrick’s back, feeling the muscles constrict under his palms. 

“Want you,” he murmurs into the kiss.

Patrick pulls back, jumping off the bed to grab what they went to get at the drug store. He brings the lube and box of condoms with him, dropping them on the mattress as he gets between David’s legs. He takes the lube, putting some on his fingers as David plants his feet on the mattress, reaching to pull Patrick back against him.

Patrick goes willingly, kissing him instantly as he circles David’s waiting hole with slick fingers. He presses a finger inside, slowly fucking him open with it. 

David moans into the kiss, “Another.”

Patrick adds another finger, fucking him open before his fingers brush against David’s prostate causing him to moan loudly, head thrown back. 

“Fu- you’re so sexy, David,” Patrick says, before trailing his lips across David’s neck, nipping at his skin.

“Need you now, Patrick,” David tells him. “Fuck me.”

Patrick moans at his words, kissing him hard before slipping his fingers free. He looks at the box of condoms beside them.

“We don’t - um, we don’t have to use them. Only if you’re comfortable with it. I got tested for the game, and I’m clean. Obviously. I wouldn’t have been on the show if not,” David says, meaning part of the required medical tests for contestants.

Patrick looks at him, a small smile on his face at David’s rambling. “And I was on the show, so I’m clean, too. Obviously,” he tells him, teasing gently.

“Okay, so let’s not use them, I really wanna feel all of you inside of me,” David tells him.

Patrick moans, pressing himself back against David completely, kissing him. David’s hands are all over him, pulling him in. Patrick pulls back to put some lube onto his aching cock, stroking himself before lining up with David’s waiting hole.

He slowly presses inside of him until he bottoms out, moaning the entire time. “Oh my God, David,” he moans, kissing him hard on the lips. “You feel so good.”

David wraps his legs around Patrick’s waist and says, “So do you, but Patrick, my love, start moving.”

“Right,” Patrick chuckles. David pulls his face to his, kissing him as Patrick starts moving, fucking him nice and steady. 

“Harder,” David moans against his lips.

Patrick fucks him harder, faster, deeper and they’re both moaning loudly, not caring about anything or anybody else but the two of them finally getting to share their bodies and this experience together. 

David’s cock is leaking between them, Patrick’s stomach rubbing against it as he fucks him. “ _Fuck, Patrick_ , so good, you’re perfect,” David moans. “ _Mmmph_ , I’m close.”

Patrick kisses David’s neck, nipping at his earlobe before he says hotly into his ear, “Come for me, David.”

David clenches around Patrick as he comes hard between them, a moan of Patrick’s name on his lips. Patrick’s right there with him, not able to hold out any longer as he comes hard inside of him, his vision blurring at the intensity of his orgasm, moaning David’s name into his neck.

Patrick slowly pulls out before flopping down on the mattress beside David. They both turn their heads to look at each other and smile widely. Patrick brings his hand up to David’s cheek, pulling him into a soft kiss. 

“That was - wow,” Patrick says. 

“That good, huh?” David teases.

Patrick takes David’s hand in his and kisses his ring clad fingers. “I’ve never experienced anything that amazing in my life. You’re amazing,” he tells him.

David blushes, his lips twisting up into a small smile in the corner of his mouth. He pulls Patrick closer, the need to kiss him strong. When they pull apart, he says, “If I don’t get cleaned up now, this is going to be real gross, real fast,” gesturing to his release on his stomach.

“C’mon,” Patrick jumps out of bed. David quickly follows him to the washroom where they take a quick shower to clean off before climbing back into bed together.

The lights turned off, the room completely still, David cuddles close to Patrick, placing his head on his chest. Patrick wraps his arm around him, holding him close as he kisses the top of his head. 

“Thank you for changing my life,” David whispers, his fingers gently playing with Patrick’s free hand. 

“Thank you for changing mine,” Patrick whispers back. “I can’t wait to continue to spend my life with you, for however long you want me.”

David brings Patrick’s hand to his lips, he kisses them softly. “How about forever?” he asks.

“Forever it is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Leave us a kudos if you liked it & comment if you feel the need 🥰


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